


A New Season

by pugoata



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pregnancy, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-03 07:42:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17279879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pugoata/pseuds/pugoata
Summary: Raven's vanished, leaving Taiyang alone with a newborn. When Summer comes back from a mission to meet the baby, she finds a more important mission awaiting her there. Not just smut!





	1. Chapter 1

“Tai! I’m here!”

Summer didn’t bother with knocking. The Branwen-Xiao Long house—or, she guessed, just the Xiao Long house now—was like a second home to her. She was upset that Raven had gone into labor a full three weeks ahead of schedule. She thought the mission she was on would get her back before the due date, but Raven had always marched to the beat of her own drum. It had been Qrow who’d gotten the message to her that Raven had run off only days after giving birth.

But now Summer was here. She could help Tai with the infant girl.

There was no response when she stepped into the house. She heard the radio on. And above that, the sounds of an exhausted baby trying to scream.

Something was wrong.

She dropped her bag and darted up the stairs toward the sound of the cries. The nursery that Tai had furnished months ago was now a mess. Baby clothes, both soiled and clean, were tossed all over the place. The diaper pail was overflowing with dirty diapers. She took a whiff, and was dismayed that the odor of the diapers, with a hint of sour milk, overpowered the clean smell that was here before she left.

The baby in the crib, though her cries had dwindled to a whimper, at least looked fed. What was her name again?

“Oh, Yang, my sweet love,” Summer crooned, bending over to pick her up. She was in desperate need of a diaper change and probably a bath.

Fury bloomed in her. Where was Tai?

Though the nursery was a disaster, she found clean diapers without much trouble. As she did so, she called, “Tai?”

No answer.

The anger smoldered. It was Raven, always Raven. She’d won Tai’s heart, even though Summer had nursed a secret love for him since their school days. They’d created this beautiful child together, even though Summer longed for one of her own. Raven had everything and then abandoned it like garbage. 

She didn’t bother dressing Yang; as soon as she located Tai, she’d give the poor thing a bath. Instead, she swaddled her with extra care. She remembered with a pang as all of Team STRQ had gathered together to practice changing diapers and swaddling in Tai’s living room. Raven had been moody and not into it. Qrow had somehow managed to drop his baby doll in the process. Tai and Summer were the ones who had gotten the hang of it. 

_Those days are gone forever_ , Summer thought bitterly. She cradled Yang against her body as she searched all the rooms upstairs. Nothing.

She found Tai in the kitchen, snoring, his head cushioned in his arms. With disgust, she saw one hand was clutching a bottle of whiskey.  
Summer saw red.

She seized the bottle and threw it at the wall. The impact and the shattering glass was enough to wake him up. He shot up, overturning his chair.

“What--?”

Then he saw Summer. 

“How fucking _dare you_ ,” she hissed. She was shaking. She’d never done anything like that before. She had always been the calm one.

“Summer,” he pleaded, but she cut him off.

“This baby has probably been crying for _hours_ ,” she spat. “She’d cried so much that she couldn’t cry any more. And I find you _here. Asleep. Drinking._ ”

“I—“ he tried, but she went on.

“I don’t care how you _feel_.” She stared at him, her silver eyes as cold as steel. “This baby is an innocent. She never asked to be born, or for her mother to abandon her, or for her father to neglect her. How dare you treat her this way.”

Furious tears were streaming down her face and she didn’t care. She had trusted Tai, even loved him. Yet he had chosen himself over his baby. This was unforgivable.

She saw tears dripping down his own cheeks.

“I’m so sorry.” His voice sounded hollow. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

To her horror, Tai actually started to sob. He buried his eyes in one hand.

“I’m so exhausted. I thought Raven would be here to help me. I thought she _loved us_. I can’t do this alone.”

Despite what she had said, Summer found that she did care about how he felt. She sensed his despairing loneliness and hopelessness. She found herself shaking her head.

“Dammit, Tai. You’re not alone. Qrow can help you, and I’ll stay here as long as you need me to. You’re not alone.”

She bounced Yang a little in her arms. She was starting to make some mewling noises. How long had it been since she’d eaten?

“Look. I’ll take care of the baby for now. You… go… take a nap or something. And clean yourself up. You _smell_ drunk.”

Tai stared at her in disbelief. 

“But I—“

“No buts. You can’t do anything for Yang if you’re drunk. She needs you, but she needs you _sober._ ”

He nodded slowly, dumbly, before staggering off in the direction of the bedroom. Summer watched him.

Their team really was broken, she realized. It was fractured before; Raven had been so detached during her pregnancy that it made all of the relationships between them uneven. Coming back to Patch and seeing the state of everything and everyone was what finally made this real.

She started to sob in earnest as she warmed up a bottle of formula for Yang. Everything had been working so well for so long. She could almost hate Raven for running away. _She_ was the catalyst who had made the world fall apart.

Summer rocked Yang back and forth in her arms, murmuring nonsensical comforts to her. The words were probably more comfort to Summer than to Yang, and they did help calm her down. She was practically composed when she took a seat to feed her.

Later, Summer settled on the couch. After her bath, Yang smelled wonderful. Summer’s heart ached as she smelled Yang’s round baby head. She loved the smell of babies. So many people loved to talk about how ugly babies are at first, but at a week old, Yang was certainly no such thing. She was beautiful.

Summer used to dream about having lots of babies, but now that she was a Huntress, she knew she probably wouldn’t have the luxury of having many. She wasn’t actively looking for someone to have them with, either; she had been in love with Tai for so long, that nobody else could measure up. She kept telling herself that she was still barely out of school and had plenty of time for all that later… but deep inside, she feared she never would.

She lay Yang belly-down on her chest before stretching her legs out across the cushions. If Raven didn’t come back… _she_ could be Yang’s mother. It was a silly, selfish thought. Tai wasn’t looking for a partner. But wasn’t she the only woman left? This little baby needed a mother, and Tai needed help for sure. Why _couldn’t_ she be a mother?

Recalling Raven’s behavior, she felt certain that she wasn’t coming back. Her flight was clearly pre-meditated. She took everything important to her—except her baby.

It broke her heart.

Yang needed a mother. Summer would be damned if she let her go without one when _she_ was perfectly capable.

She didn’t know how long she slept with the infant on her chest, but when she awoke, the only light left coming through the window was moonlight. Yang was making contented gurgles.

Summer sensed with her aura that there was someone in the room with her. She snapped her head around and locked eyes with Tai.

“Sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.” He gave her a weak smile from his seat on an adjacent chair. She watched him suspiciously. He went on. “I’m not drunk. I think I’d slept most of it off when you woke me up.”

She said nothing, but the look of sadness on his face was palpable.

“I dumped all the alcohol in the house down the drain,” he offered. “I left the bottles on the counter… in case you didn’t believe me.”

Summer winced. He deserved her scorn, but it still upset her to think of him seeking redemption. The Tai she knew was a good man. It was difficult to reconcile that good man with the man who got drunk and neglected his baby.

“Look,” she said, her voice soft. “You can start making it up to her. Not to me, but to _Yang_.” She inclined a head to the baby on her chest. “She needs a diaper change, and she needs to be fed.”

“Got it!” He jumped up and took Yang from her. Summer slid up, propping herself against the couch’s arm. The look he was giving Yang softened her heart. “Summer,” he said, his voice hesitant, “did you mean it when you said you’d stay here?”

“I did.” Her mind was still slightly fuzzy from her nap, so she tried to organize her thoughts. “I think… Yang needs me, Tai. But she needs you more. I’m not trying to replace Raven, but damn her, Tai. I can’t forgive her for what she’s done to you and to Yang.”

“It’s my fault Raven left,” Tai said softly. He bounced the baby in his arms, and Summer couldn’t tell if it was for Yang’s comfort or his own anxiety. “She didn’t want Yang. She… was an accident.”

“I know that,” she said, furrowing her brow. Tai and Raven were unintentional parents, but she knew Tai had been eager to step up to the plate. Though Raven had not been, Summer had thought it was just her hormones that made her so moody. _How much did I not see?_ Summer thought bitterly.

“Raven… wanted… I mean, she really didn’t want a baby.” Tai’s voice was pained. “She wanted an abortion. I talked her out of it.”

Summer’s silver eyes went wide. “Oh, God,” she whispered.

“And you know how her pregnancy was. She really resented me for wanting to keep the baby. To keep Yang.” His voice choked on the last few words. 

Raven’s pregnancy had been a miserable one. Summer had held her through hormonal rages and depressions, while she puked her guts out long after the first trimester, through the constant nausea, through insomnia. Tai and Qrow had, too, but Summer was a woman who could understand more easily why Raven had so many crying spells.

She had wanted to end the pregnancy, but she went through with it for Tai.

A woman as tough as Raven couldn’t stand the powerlessness the pregnancy put her though. She probably assumed parenthood would be the same way. Raven’s flight suddenly made sense, even though Summer still didn’t like it.

“I’m so sorry, Tai,” she murmured. She shook her head. “Nobody won. Not Raven, not you, but especially not Yang.”

They were silent for a few moments. Finally, Summer stood up, crossed over to Tai, and enveloped both him and Yang in a hug.

“I’m here for you. Both you and Yang.”

He returned the embrace with one arm and rested his chin on her head.

“I’m so glad you’re here. You don’t know how much it means to me.” He let out a short burst of laughter. “Why can’t anything in our lives go the way we want them to go?”

Oh, Tai. He couldn’t know how hard he hit the target.


	2. Chapter 2

“Why didn't you wake me up?!” Tai looked stricken.

“It was my night with Yang. It looked like you needed your sleep,” Summer replied, trying to keep the testiness from her voice. She liked the system they'd worked out, with Tai taking one night and Summer taking the next. It just so happened that a very bad night happened to be the night Summer was on baby duty. She didn't know why Yang wouldn't stop crying. She changed her, she fed her… “I don't get it. I even took her clothes off in case her clothes had a wrinkle!”

Tai burst out laughing. Summer tried to glower, but his laughter was contagious. She grinned.

“You turned our baby into a nudist? She's not even a month old yet and she's already taking after Uncle Qrow.” He smiled fondly at the infant, who was sleeping now. 

“Our baby, huh?” Her smile was faint.

“We're co-parenting, aren't we? You're already more of a mother than Raven was.” It took her a moment to realize that his fond look had migrated from Yang to herself. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks. 

“All right, then, Mr. Co-Parent,” she said, forcing herself to look anywhere but at his face. “I'm going to go sit outside with Yang. You can make me breakfast.”

“As you command, _Miss_ Co-Parent,” he replied with an exaggerated bow. Summer snorted. She tucked Yang into a sling that held her against her chest, then went out.

Yang seemed to enjoy being out in the sunshine. They'd discovered this in the first week Summer had arrived at Patch, when a whimpering Yang had drifted off to sleep while they took a walk together. What a shame there was no sunlight during that bad spell last night. 

There was a large tree in the yard that had few roots above ground, so it was here Summer sat and nestled into her hood. She relaxed against the trunk, taking in the smells of the outdoors and the sweet baby smell of Yang's fair, downy hair. It was a smell she just couldn't get enough of. She could almost forget how heavy her eyes felt. 

“You look thoughtful,” Tai commented as he sat down beside her. 

“You made breakfast already?” she asked, amused.

“Just some gourmet microwave burritos.” He flashed her a toothy grin, holding one out to her. She laughed. 

“If I get a stomach ulcer, I'm blaming you.”

She took a bite. It was clearly a frozen meal, but it wasn't terrible. She may yet live. 

“You were looking pretty… not happy, I guess. Maybe content?” Damn the man, he looked amused. “Wasn't expecting to see that when I came out. Not after the night you had.”

She had to chuckle. “I guess I wasn't, either. It's funny, but having Yang snuggled up to me like this, where I can smell her… I can't help it. I'm just happy to have her here.”

“That's oxytocin for you,” he said with a small laugh. 

“Oxy-what?”

“Oxytocin. The love hormone.” Tai shrugged, but he didn't stop the smile on his face. “I read about it in one of those pregnancy books.” He laughed. “Raven wasn’t interested in them at all, but I found it fascinating. There’s so much I had no idea about!”

“Like oxytocin?”

“Exactly! When a woman gives birth, hear body floods her with oxytocin to help her bond with her baby. The oxytocin also lets the milk down in a breastfeeding mother. Some folks say it even gives the mother some kind of amnesia, so she sort of forgets how bad labor was and maybe thinks about having more children.”

Her burrito now gone, Summer nodded slowly. She couldn't help but wonder if Raven had had that sort of hormone in her when she gave birth. If she did, how could she have abandoned her baby? 

“It's different for every woman,” he added, shifting uncomfortably. She could sense his sadness. Raven was on his mind, too.

Without thinking, she rested her head on his shoulder. She regretted it immediately, but was surprised when Tai wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her in closer.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the silence around them. She didn't know the significance of his hand at her waist. Maybe there was none at all, and maybe she was reading too deeply into it… but she didn't want it to stop.

“Did you ever think you’d be raising a baby?” he asked, his question catching her off guard. Summer didn’t move, though. He was comfortable.

“I’d always wanted kids.” She tried to keep her tone casual. “But, you know… it’s not always easy for a huntress.”

“Yet here you are.”

“Hey, I never said they were out of the picture. I just didn’t think I’d have as many as I dreamed about when I was a kid.” She stroked Yang’s back. “My aunt always said I was very maternal toward others.”

“I can see why she might have said that.” She couldn’t see his face, but she had a feeling Tai was smiling. “You’ve been so good with Yang.”

Did he realize that what he was doing-- the way his fingers caressed her waist-- was going to kill her? That was probably why she blurted out, “I couldn’t have her growing up without a mother like I did.”

Silence fell between them. She cursed herself for saying that; she’d all but announced that she was Yang’s mother. Yet Tai didn’t release her waist. Instead, he tightened his hold on her.

“I forgot about that,” he said softly.

“It’s not like I talk about it much,” she muttered. Summer’s mother had been an incredibly huntress. She’d had the skills and the silver eyes, and her aunt had sometimes said that her mother could have held the world together with them. Summer was only a toddler when her mother didn’t return and it had broken her father, who sent her to live with her mother’s sister. Her aunt just wasn’t the same. For years, they had resented each other. They managed to patch things up when Summer went to Beacon, but there had been a hole in her heart that couldn’t be filled. It was hard for a child to live with. “I’m not going to let Yang grow up feeling like I did.”

“I know,” Tai sighed. He leaned back against the tree, and Summer nestled her head into his chest. He was warm and smelled good.

Was it the oxytocin that was making her feel this way? 

They stayed that way for a long time. Summer caught herself nodding off a couple times, but she wouldn’t lose _that_ much control. Tai seemed content just to hold her against him. Yang was the only thing that disturbed their peace, but it was something both of them had been listening for. 

“Let me take her for a while,” Tai murmured. “You can take a nap in my bed while I hang out with Yang for a bit.” Summer opened her mouth to protest, but he went on. “When she’s ready to go back to sleep, I’ll put her up in the nursery. When you’re down here, you’ll be able to sleep through any more crying spells she has more easily.”

He had a point. Even on her nights off, she could hear Yang cry in the room next to hers. As much as she hated to admit it, Tai’s room might be more restful. _His bed would smell like him, too_ , she thought guiltily.

“Fine. But wake me up the minute you need help,” she insisted. He laughed, then did something that surprised her: he kissed her on the top of her head.

Summer kept Yang strapped to her on the short walk back to the house, but Tai took her almost as soon as they walked through the door. She smiled at him gratefully as she took off first her hood, then the sling.

“Please, just help yourself to the bedroom. Go take a good nap, Summer. You look like you need it.”

She didn’t need to be told twice.

She was relieved to see his bed was unmade; she would have been too self-conscious to climb into a made bed. She kicked off her boots and pulled her belt off. She was unsure at first if she should sleep in the slept-in side-- Tai’s side-- or the side that looked untouched. After a moment’s hesitation, Summer crawled onto Tai’s side. Aside from the selfish reason of wanting her body to be where his rested, she thought it would be more courteous to leave the tidy side as it was.

It _did_ smell like Tai. Gloriously so. Smiling a little, she clutched the pillow to her as she rested her head on it. 

When Summer blinked awake, she was aware of a warm body curled against hers under the blanket. Her cheeks went hot, even though nobody could see her face. Her breathing quickened. How long had she been out? How long had Tai been here?

Not knowing if he was truly asleep or not, Summer slowly maneuvered her body to face in his direction. He _seemed_ asleep. Damn him, why didn’t he wake her up? She would have gladly given his side of the bed back. Hell, she would have given him the whole bed back if that was what he wanted.

And _God_ , how she wanted him.

This was almost like the old fantasies about him that she used to have. She had been so ashamed of them. She never told a soul about her feelings for Tai. She’d even hoped that they would pass, not wanting to jeopardize Team STRQ in any way. Which Raven ended up doing all by herself, of course. Summer regarded Tai closely, searching for any sign that he might still be awake. She wasn’t afraid of what he would do; she was afraid of what _she_ might do.

He was in no shape to romance anyone right now, she told herself. He was too recently separated from Raven. His world had been rocked hard by a transition to fatherhood without the mother of his baby. Summer was only here to help. She was being selfish and unrealistic to expect anything beyond his gratitude.

And yet…

Tai hadn’t shown any signs of waking, but Summer felt his hand grip her wrist under the blanket. She made a sharp intake of breath as he opened his eyes. Those blue eyes were so soft and he looked so tired.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s rude to jump into bed without warning the lady first.” He arched a pale eyebrow.

“It’s okay.” Why was that the only thing she could think of to say? “I… I can go…”

She started to sit up, but he didn’t realize the pressure on her wrist.

“Summer…” He closed his eyes. He inhaled, then opened them again. “Please stay with me. I just…” He groped for words. “I want to hold you.”

Summer stared at him in disbelief. The logical part of her brain was telling her not to be selfish, not to be foolish, he just lost Raven, he couldn’t really want her. But the emotional part was begging her to let herself be held.

For once, the emotional side won.

She slid close to him and his arms wrapped around her. Nobody had held her like this before. She melted into him. He buried his face in the arch of her neck. His stubble scratched her a little, but it felt oddly nice. And God, he smelled so good.

For some reason, the only word that came to her mind was _oxytocin_.


	3. Chapter 3

A chime from her scroll was what awakened her this time, but it wasn't Summer's first focus. It was Tai's arms around her back. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the sensation. His face was no longer in her neck. It had made its way to the top of her skull, where he had pressed into her messy hair.

Though she hated to move, she extricated herself from him gently. He made a grunt of protest, then flopped onto his stomach while Summer grabbed her scroll. 

“Qrow just texted me,” she gasped. “He's coming for a visit tomorrow.”

“About time,” Tai grumbled. “He's only met Yang once, and that was the day she was born. You'd think he'd be more interested in bonding with his new niece.”

“Maybe he's worried about his semblance,” she offered. Tai rolled back onto his side and smiled. 

“There you go with your benefit of the doubt.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I like it! It's so refreshing to hear it. R- uh, not everyone has the ability to see them.”

Summer was relieved he didn't say Raven's name. Sharing a bed with Tai-- as well as spending the past few weeks with him-- was making her realize how hard and hopelessly she was falling in love. She wasn't strong enough yet to hear about Tai's relationship with Raven. 

Tai brushed her hand gently with his. She couldn't tell if he sensed where her thoughts were going, but that light touch reassured her. She met his eyes and smiled.

For some reason, her brain just couldn't register the fact that he was leaning closer to her.

Then he was kissing her.

Summer's silver eyes widened. She clutched at his shirt, as if fearing he would draw away.

The kiss, though chaste, was making her body tingle. Never had she ever had a kiss in which her entire body thrummed with electricity. She could feel a hand at her back, a hand at her waist. She let her free hand drift up his back, feeling the hard muscles there for the first time.

When Tai opened his mouth, Summer responded in kind. His tongue probed her mouth with a gentleness she hadn't expected. She moaned before she knew that she was even making a sound. She felt a twitch of Tai's mouth as he smiled.

The hand at her waist slid underneath her shirt. Summer shivered at the touch of his calloused fingers on her skin. His other hand moved into her hair, which his fingers tangled in as he cupped the back of her head. She almost couldn't breathe. _Almost_.

That was when Yang began to cry.

They broke their kiss, but didn't pull away from each other. Summer was still awestruck by what just happened. What _had_ just happened? His eyes searched her own. God, if only she knew what he was thinking.

He loosened his grip on her head and slowly smoothed her hair back. She felt goosebumps crawl across her shoulders. Tai must have seen them, for his hand rolled down the back of her neck and began to rub the bumps away.

“I’ll go take care of Yang,” he told her, continuing to rub her shoulder. “If you’d like, maybe you can--” His eyes flicked to the clock on the nightstand. “Uh, it’s a little late for lunch, but too early for dinner. So maybe you could make a ‘dunch’? Or a ‘linner’?”

Summer couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. It broke the amorous tension in the air and she felt herself relax.

“I think I could whip something up that isn’t frozen,” she teased. It was his turn to laugh.

“Deal.” 

He looked regretful as he let go of Summer and pulled his hand out from under her shirt. She regretted it, too, but she was also relieved. How far would she have let him go? Was she ready for that? Was she ready for _him_?

Tai left the room first, leaving Summer to her own frenetic thoughts. She couldn’t remember ever being so confused-- or conflicted.

She got up and moved to the kitchen on autopilot, trying to figure out her feelings about what had just happened. She was not used to love. She was not used to having anyone be physical with her in that way. Closing her eyes, she re-lived it. His hand on her skin, his mouth on hers, his tongue in her mouth…

It felt as though her body was flooded with a warmth. She _did_ want that. Her body craved his touch, but her desires scared her. What she wanted to do with Tai was something she’d never done with anyone before. It almost shamed her to admit that to herself. Tai was obviously more experienced. What if all he wanted was Summer’s physical offering? Was that why he was moving so fast? That possibility pained her. She wanted his touch, yes, but she wanted his emotional connection, as well. 

But wasn’t that something she was already gaining?

“It smells good in here.” Tai poked his head around the corner.

“It’s only leftovers.” Summer was impressed at how level she was able to keep her voice.

“Still smells good!”

“Especially after your sorry excuse for breakfast this morning,” she replied, unable to keep a smile from growing on her face.

“Ouch!” Tai clutched at his heart in mock agony. “Why does the woman hurt me so?”

“Maybe _the woman_ is only telling it like it is!”

They both laughed. Now that he was in the room, Summer could see nothing but genuine kindness in his eyes. The lust-driven monster her mind was trying to create had collapsed on itself.

They ate in relative silence, asking only questions that didn’t touch on what happened that afternoon. Summer longed to discuss it, but whenever she tried to think of something to say, her terror won. She did notice that he was looking at her in a curious way. It frightened her and it thrilled her.

Tai took the dishes, and Summer didn’t complain. She considered checking up on Yang, maybe taking her for a walk. But if Tai had gotten her back to sleep, Summer didn’t dare disturb her. Instead, she meandered to the living room, wishing she could get Tai out of her head for even a few minutes. She stared out the window. The sky was beginning to spread its pink fingers of twilight, but she knew it would be a while yet before the sun actually fell.

She felt bad at how much she had slept today, but it was nice to get some real sleep. Maybe she could take over for Tai tonight. 

“Are you all right, Summer?”

She had sensed him moving in behind her, so she wasn’t jumpy at his presence. It was his question that caught her off-guard.

“Sorry?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you today,” he offered quietly.

“Oh, God. No, Tai. You didn’t scare me,” she assured him. It was the truth. It wasn’t him that scared her. She had done that all by herself.

“You’re just acting… kind of funny, I guess.” At this, she turned around, eyes wide.

Tai was agitated. Could he really be this worked up about her? 

“No. It’s not about you. I’m just…” Her voice trailed off, not sure which word to use. She sighed. “I’m not good at this, Tai. I’m nervous.”

He gave her a weak smile. “So am I.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, then he crossed the room to where she stood before the window. “I care about you a lot, Summer,” he said, his voice soft. “I don’t want to hurt you. I _never_ want to hurt you.”

He took her hands in his.

“I _need_ you in my life. Not just in Yang’s life, but in _mine_.”

Summer felt a sting in her eyes, but she refused to cry. “I’ll always be here for you, Tai. You know that.” She hesitated, then figured that she might as well be honest. “I... I need to be close to you.” Another pause. “I love you.”

He moved her hands to his waist. She held tight as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face into her hair. The fire flooded her veins again as she reveled in her closeness to him. He was so warm, so gentle. This was the man she loved. This was the man she _needed_.

Their lips met again, and for an instant, Summer worried if her breath smelled. She let go of that fear as she opened her mouth to welcome his tongue. This game was now a familiar one. Summer was so caught up in it that she almost didn’t notice that Tai was leading her to the couch. He pulled her down to it with such tenderness.

Her fingers brushed against the stubble of his cheeks as she kissed him. 

Tai slipped both hands inside of her shirt, along her back. The sensation of skin-on-skin was too much, and she once again broke into goosebumps. He unclasped her bra and her small breasts fell free. She was all too aware of how hard they were heaving.

Tai circled one hand back around her front, diving under the loose bra to cup a breast. His thumb brushed her nipple, which hardened at the touch. Summer let out a whimpering moan. She ached with the desire for him to continue touching her.

He suddenly broke the kiss off, only to kiss her again in the crook of her neck. He hungrily moved downward to her collarbone, then over her shirt to the neglected breast. He pushed the bra aside to kiss her nipple over her shirt. 

“God,” she whispered as he drew her shirt over her head. She had only the barest idea that she was trembling.

She'd never been so exposed before, but God, she _loved_ it.

He pulled the bra from her arms, then sat back a moment to stare at her. Summer's face went hot.

“You're so beautiful,” he told her, voice soft. He lay her back so her head rested on the couch cushion. She looked into his eyes until he bent down over her to kiss her mouth again. The hand on her breast was moving its thumb in slow circles around her nipple.

Again, Tai lowered his face to her chest. With no shirt in the way, her skin felt so much more sensitive as he left a trail of kisses between her breasts. He pulled his hand away from the nipple he was teasing to replace it with his mouth. Summer shuddered. She hadn’t known that her boobs could provide her with so much pleasure. Tai’s tongue began with the motions his thumb had been making, drawing out the tease almost painfully. His mouth was so warm.

His tongue flicked her nipple with deliberate slowness at first, but he increased his speed before long. Summer couldn’t stop the yearning whimpers that escaped her mouth. She clung to him, her hands beneath his shirt, moving up and down in a steady rhythm. Tai then chose to switch tactics and breasts; he put his mouth on the other and began to suck gently at it.

Summer felt the raging heat in her groin, the wetness that was beginning to spread there. She guided one of Tai’s hands to the waistband of her pants.

He took the hint. He seemed eager as he unbuttoned them and pulled them, as well as her panties, down to her knees. She was trembling violently now, but a gentle kiss to her mouth helped reassure her. 

As they kissed again, she felt his hand on her aching mound. Its descent was slow, as if unsure if it was truly welcome there. It came to rest on her sensitive cleft. A testing finger slipped in. 

Though warm, it was nowhere near as hot as Summer's sex. His finger ran slowly up and down the insides of her lips, her wetness allowing him to slide with smooth ease. Her moan was loud as he plunged deeper. 

“You're so wet,” he whispered. She had no response other than to moan again. Her eyes were closed and her head rolled back as he took a nipple to his mouth again. 

The finger that was toying with her slit was joined by the rest of his hand. It rubbed circles on the flesh that surrounded her clit. Summer was gasping for air as the bundle of nerves beneath his touch began to fire harder and harder. His fingers danced around the sensitive bud.

All the sensations-- the hand on her bare side, the mouth sucking at her breast, and the light touch on her clit-- were too much for her.

She came, and she came hard. 

The noise she let loose was not quite a scream and not quite a squeal. Her clit and her pussy contracted in waves of pleasure, threatening to swallow Tai's fingers into itself. Tai's mouth released its hold on her nipple. He looked into her face, his eyes meeting hers. He pulled his hand away from the throbbing, wet mess that he'd made. 

“Did you just cum?” he asked with a smile. She knew that he knew damned well what he'd done to her, but she was too overwhelmed to call him out on it. She just nodded, trying to catch her breath. 

With his dry hand, he smoothed her hair back. 

“You're shaking like a leaf. Are you okay?” He actually sounded concerned. She loved him for it. 

“I've never been better,” she told him honestly. “I've never done that with anyone before.”

His pale eyebrows shot up. “No one's ever fingered you?”

Heat rose in her cheeks. She might as well tell him now. 

“I've… never been with anyone before,” she admitted. “In any kind of way.”

For a moment, he only stared at her, then his blue eyes went round. It was hard to read the expression on his face. Was it disappointment? Fear? Concern?

“I had no idea,” he whispered. That was when she noticed that one of those many expressions crossing his face was _shame_. 

“Taiyang. Listen,” she replied with more ferocity than she meant to use. “I _want_ this with you. That’s why we’re doing this. I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life.”

It took him a minute before he responded. “You’ve… never had sex. But you want to with me?”

Summer nodded vigorously. 

“Why now? Why do you want to do this _now_ \-- with _me_?”

Now it was Summer who didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell him that she’d been in love with him since Beacon, especially since he had tried making a life with Raven during that time. She gulped and shook her head.

“Because it’s _you_ I love.”

Tenderly, he caressed her stomach before leaning over to kiss her. Summer closed her eyes, relishing his touch on her skin and his lips on hers. Her own hands worked at kneading his back. More than anything, she wanted to see him with his clothes off. She’d seen him without his shirt often enough, but rarely had he ever been completely naked. There was one part of him in particular that she had never seen, but that she was desperate to.

Tai pulled away from her to sit back. He tugged her pants and her panties the rest of the way off her body, then only stared at her with a hungry gaze. Her shaking was as violent as ever at his inspection of her body. Summer had never been one to feel too self-conscious, but his gaze was making her acutely aware of her flaws, as well as how hard her chest rose and fell, and how erect her nipples were. She wished she could stop shaking.

He finally sighed. “Not tonight. We kinda went a little fast today,” he told her, sounding sheepish. “I want to savor you. And I want you to remember this as… something we didn’t rush, I guess?”

Summer couldn’t hide her disappointment. Her face fell, but she tried to see the logic in his idea. It made sense, even though she would happily let him take her tonight. Wasn’t it only tonight that they kissed for the first time? He’d already stripped her and brought her to climax. Whatever their relationship would be, she wouldn’t stretch it so fast that she’d make it break. No. They would stretch it out like taffy, slow and tantalizing.

“Okay,” she replied softly. “I guess that’s probably the wise thing to do.” She frowned. “But can I do anything for you tonight? Like you did for me?”

A slow smile spread across his face, but he shook his head. “No. There’s plenty of time for that.”

With that, he got off the couch. Summer instinctively sat up and drew her knees to her chest. Tai chuckled, then scooped her up in his arms. She squeaked in surprise, which only drew out another laugh from Tai. 

“I’d like it if you stayed in my room with me,” he told her. “Instead of the guest room.”

“Okay,” she breathed. He was walking her to his room. “Do… do you want me to put my pajamas on?”

She saw the smile curve on his lips. “Only if you want to. You’re beautiful, Summer. I wouldn’t mind staring at you all night.” She flushed.

When they got to his room, Tai shifted her weight in his arms so he could pull the blanket back. He lay her down there with more gentleness than she was used to from anyone. The warmth from the blanket was nice when he covered her naked body with it. What was nicer was when he lay down beside her, pulling her into his taller frame. He was warmer than any blanket. She felt a hand rest on the smooth skin of her bottom.

“I’m in love with you, Summer,” he murmured after a few minutes. “These past few weeks made me see that, I think. Practically from the moment you threw that whiskey at the wall. Maybe even before then.”

“For years,” Summer replied, voice soft. She hadn’t meant to say it. Sometimes, sentiments force themselves to be born. She couldn’t look at him, but he wrapped his other arm tightly around her back.

He kissed her forehead. 

That was all there was to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be changing my username soon. If you're keeping an eye on this story, look for the title, not the username.
> 
> Also, I've never published any smut before. I'm about ready to chop everyone's hands off to make it easier to keep track of their limbs, but I think that would get us into a kink we're not prepared for. Anyway, mad props to all authors of good smut.


	4. Chapter 4

“Qrow. You're sitting down. We're standing right here. Nothing is going to happen to Yang if you hold her.” Summer was trying to restrain herself from sounding too annoyed but Qrow was being absolutely ridiculous. 

“Really, she's going to be fine,” Tai agreed. “We survived living in the same room as you for four years, didn't we?”

“That was different,” Qrow pointed out. “You all could protect yourselves. Yang can't.”

Summer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Tai, on the other hand, was suppressing a grin. If only she were standing closer to him, she'd step on his foot to wipe that smile off his face. She couldn't exactly do that, either, while holding the baby. So she contented herself by glaring at him, which he pointedly ignored. 

“Both Summer and I are here in case something happens,” Tai said, ever-so-patient. Qrow groaned. “C’mon. She’s your little niece. She’s your flesh and blood. And she’s _adorable_.”

“Fine. Hand her over.”

He didn’t look pleased about it, but he held out his arms to Summer. She and Tai exchanged a quick look of amusement, then she lay Yang into them. Qrow was stiff and his discomfort was obvious. He bounced her awkwardly. Summer bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Just make sure to keep her head supported,” she instructed him when she felt she could talk without any giggles escaping. 

“It gets easier,” Tai added hurriedly. “When she gets older, especially, you’ll be swinging her around as if she was Harbinger.”

The look he gave Tai could have killed.

“Maybe not swinging,” Summer offered. “We don’t need another mishap like what happened when he practiced changing diapers!”

Now Qrow switched his glare to Summer. 

Tai laughed. “I almost forgot about that! I still can’t figure out how the baby doll’s head had such a huge dent in it!”

Qrow’s glare lasted for another brief moment before a sly grin broke it.

“I work in mysterious ways,” he said with a shrug. He turned his red eyes to Yang. His gaze softened. “She’s beautiful, Tai.”

He grew silent, seeming to take in every single detail of Yang’s features. Summer could see a look of sadness cross his face, but she said nothing. She knew who he was thinking of. 

She stole another glance at Tai. They’d agreed to silence on the matter of their relationship. They suspected it would be too much for Qrow to handle right now. She was impressed with how casual they were able to act while she kept replaying last night in her head. It had felt like a dream when she had woken up to Yang’s cries in the night. Naked, in Tai’s bed, in his arms. Though she had been loathe to do it, she had slipped out of his warm embrace and found a shirt of his to cover herself with so that she could tend Yang.

That morning, she had moved all of her things out of the guest bedroom and into Tai’s room. They had both been light of spirit that morning. As she had done laundry, Tai had stolen kisses from her. Recalling them was dizzying.

Qrow had sobered them up.

“We were right about one thing, Tai,” he finally announced. “Raven isn’t coming back.”

Summer’s heart sank as she looked at Tai. His expression was stony.

“Oh?”

“I figured out where the Branwen tribe is living these days. I checked it out-- incognito, of course-- and I saw her.” Qrow shook his head in disgust. “I don’t understand how she could leave her baby behind. I knew she had problems, but I didn’t think she was a monster.”

“How is she?” Summer asked. She needed to know, and she knew Tai probably did, too. Qrow shrugged.

“I think she’s one of the top dogs now. She did accomplish what we set out to do, after all. She’s probably the toughest fighter in the entire camp. I’m guessing they welcomed her back with open arms.”

“Is she happy?” Tai asked quietly. Qrow scowled.

“Is Raven ever happy?” he demanded harshly. “Team STRQ wasn’t enough for her. You weren’t enough for her. Yang wasn’t even enough. I don’t think she’ll find happiness, no matter where she ends up. She looked comfortable, but that’s all I can really say.”

The silence that descended could have smothered Summer. She saw a flurry of emotions pass over Qrow’s face. The way he clutched Yang to him could have broken her heart. 

“There's something I should tell you guys. You, too, Summer,” Tai said, looking resigned. “I was an idiot throughout Raven's entire pregnancy. I was too excited about the idea of a family together that I didn't realize that mentally, she'd left me. Almost from the moment we decided we'd keep the baby.”

Qrow grimaced. She supposed he must have already known that Raven had wanted an abortion. Even if he didn't know, he knew her well enough that he probably guessed. 

“We slept in separate beds. No signs of affection in months. I thought she was just hormonal or uncomfortable. But it wasn't that. I was completely alone, and totally blind to it.” Tai buried his eyes in a hand. Summer went to him and touched him lightly. She didn't dare pull him into her arms-- not with Qrow watching. 

“None of us could have known,” she said, her voice soft.

“I'm her damn twin, and I was as blind as you were, Tai,” Qrow added.

“But do either of you know what it's like, to realize you were all alone for months? To have that hope of your future shattered in an instant?” He let go of his eyes. There were no tears, but they were bloodshot. He looked from Qrow to Summer. The fury in his eyes dissipated when he looked at her. 

That's when it dawned on her that he had been talking more to her this whole time than Qrow. He and Raven had been disconnected for months. Summer had had a nagging fear that she was nothing more than a rebound for Tai. But what he was telling her felt like a plea for her to understand that she wasn't. The massive chasm that had stretched between him and Raven wasn't new.

She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I think you're the lucky one, Tai,” she told him. “It may not be what you imagined, but you've still got a pretty incredible future ahead of you. All you need to do is look at Yang to know that.” They shot a quick glance at Yang, safe in Qrow's arms. Her eyes were closed. “Raven has nothing but an empty future ahead of her. It lacks anything meaningful.”

Tai squeezed her hand back. She wanted to hold him, to comfort him, to kiss him. Later, she told herself. She would do all of that and then some.

“Summer’s right,” Qrow said. “Yang…” He paused, then grinned. “She’s the real deal. And her good looks have _got_ to come from her uncle.”

They all laughed and the atmosphere lightened. It felt good to be almost a full team again. 

“Will you be staying long?” Summer asked, taking a seat beside Qrow. She didn’t really think he would drop Yang, but she felt easier by being close.

“I can stay the night, but Oz needs me to do some spywork in Atlas, so I need to head out as soon as possible. So I’m afraid I can’t help with the baby tonight, but I will once this mission is over, I promise.” Qrow kept looking down at Yang, and Summer had to hide a smile. He was so entranced by his little niece. It warmed her heart.

“I’ll set the bed up for you. I’ll move Yang’s crib downstairs so she doesn’t bother you,” Tai said. He made to turn around when Qrow started protesting.

“No, no, I can take the couch, I don’t want to kick Summer out of her bedroom,” he assured them. Summer felt her cheeks turn scarlet and she looked desperately over at Tai. His eyes were wide and (rather adorably) his mouth opened and closed like a fish. His eyes darted to Summer and for a moment, their eyes met.

There was silence as Qrow looked from Summer, to Tai, back to Summer, back to Tai. His own eyes went wide.

“Oh.”

Summer cursed herself for not coming up with a believable cover-story. Tai was now turning red, as well.

“It’s… it’s not like that,” he stammered. Summer looked at him and raised her eyebrows. “I mean,” he continued lamely, “I guess it is… but it… I mean, we…”

“We,” Summer interrupted, “are only just now figuring this out ourselves.”

Qrow surveyed their faces closely. “So you’re… together?”

Summer gulped, but Tai surprised her. “We are.”

Qrow made a low whistle. “I guess it makes things more traditional for raising Yang,” he said dryly.

“Are you mad at us, Qrow?” Summer asked. She was truly worried. She didn’t want to lose him, too. He made a crooked smile.

“I can’t be mad,” he shrugged. “My sister did badly by you, Tai. And Summer…” He looked at her very closely. “You’ve been alone. No, don’t look at me like that. You’ve been alone for too long and that’s just not your nature. I actually think that with things as they are, you two being together was inevitable.”

Summer and Tai stared at him in disbelief. Qrow grinned at them. 

“C’mon. Two sad, lonely, souls, playing mommy and daddy together. I don’t know why I didn’t suspect it sooner.”

“I wish I could throw something at you, Qrow,” Tai muttered. Qrow chuckled and pulled Yang up to his chest, rocking her back and forth, giving Tai a just-try-it look.

“Anyway… the bed is all yours, you ass,” Summer said. “Tai, do you mind making it while I lay Yang back down?”

\--

Tai was still making the bed when Summer finished with Yang. She poked her head into her old bedroom. “I’m still not used to how it looks empty,” she commented. He looked up and her, then smiled. It was such a sweet smile. It was a smile just for her.

“I like how it looks empty!” he replied cheerfully. “I like where you’re living now.”

“I like it, too.” She smiled a shy smile. He set down the pillow that he just finished putting in the case.

“C’mere.” He opened his arms to her, and Summer fell in gratefully. He nuzzled the crook of her neck.

“After Qrow leaves,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can go slow for much longer.”

She could feel the smile on his lips. “You’ve been waiting one day,” his quiet voice responded.

“Exactly.”

He laughed, then drew himself back up so that he could look into her face. She blushed.

“If you feel like you’re ready, then we’ll do it when you want us to.” 

“I’d be ready tonight, but I don’t think it’s a good idea while Qrow’s here,” Summer told him, which they both laughed at. “I mean, not only would he probably catch us, but he’d probably break the bed with his semblance, or something.”

They laughed again. It felt good to be just the two of them. Tai placed his hands on her waist, leaned over, and kissed her. Summer found herself lost in his touch, in his lips, in his mouth…

“Eww, gross.”

The pair leaped apart, then both glared at Qrow. The man had the gall to smirk.

This time, Tai gave into his temptation by grabbing the pillow he’d made up and throwing it at him.


	5. Chapter 5

Eager as she was to have Tai to herself again, Summer hated saying goodbye to Qrow. She knew that any mission that Oz personally gave was much more dangerous than a typical mission. Though he assured her that he would assume his crow form during the most dangerous times, it wouldn’t quell her fear. 

“He’ll be okay,” Tai assured her. “He’s a big boy, and he’s smart. He can handle himself.”

“I know,” Summer sighed. “It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Despite her worry, she smiled. A little wave of thrill ran through her body as his hands crawled across her stomach. His touch was comforting... But it was also arousing.

Yang’s crib was now in the living room, though they had rolled it into the bedroom the night before. Though it was originally for Qrow’s comfort, Tai and Summer came to enjoy the convenience of having the baby on the same floor as them. Rolling the crib where they needed it to be was quite handy.

She closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation of his hands on her body. One hand drifted to her breasts. Her nipples stood to attention, which Tai took quick advantage of. His fingertips rubbed circles on the nubs. Even through her cami she wore, this gesture made her feel so very exposed. It was wonderful.

While the right hand toyed with her nipples, his other hand moved south. Tai’s fingers slipped under the waistband of her sweatpants, then under her panties. She shivered with pleasure at the touch. The familiar warmth flared wherever those fingers touched.

Summer had asked Raven, long ago, what is was like to lose her virginity. Raven had been amused by the question. “Sweet, innocent Summer,” she’d teased. “Why don’t you just go try it out for yourself?” Summer had been so embarrassed by Raven’s question that she’d been rendered speechless. When Raven had stopped laughing, she finally gave Summer an answer. “Look, it’s not that bad. A little push, a little pain, a little blood. Not that many women who train like we do even have a hymen. A lot of women lose it during training or battle. Ya know, you take a wrong hit, and _bam_! There goes your virginity.”

“Did you have one?” Summer had asked, knowing how personal that question was, but unable to help asking it. Raven had taken it in stride.

“I did, actually. I might have lost some of it back out in the bandit camp, since I saw blood after a crotch-hit once, but I bled a little when I fucked for the first time, too. You’re psyching yourself out, Summer. It’s not that bad. Really. I’ve seen you take a lot worse in combat.”

She supposed that today, she would be putting Raven’s words to the test.

“Let’s move to the bedroom,” Summer found herself saying.

“Are you sure?” Tai’s voice was husky in her ear. “I don’t want you to feel pushed.”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything,” she told him emphatically. She sucked in air as his fingers entered her slit. She was so wet that his fingers slid in and out with ease. Groaning, she rocked her head back and forth against him. He spread her wet lips open, then let them close before spreading them again. “ _God_ , Tai, you’re going to kill me if you don’t just fuck me.”

Tai laughed. “I love it when you swear.”

He withdrew his hand, running his wet fingers over her mound. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and twirled her around. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Right before she crossed the dizziness threshold, Tai stopped to walk her to the bedroom. Summer laughed. “You’re such a jerk.”

“And for some reason, you like this jerk,” he pointed out with a grin. She laughed as he lay her on the bed, as gentle as always. He bent over her, lips meeting hers. She returned the kiss eagerly, tangling her fingers in his messy blonde hair. How could lips be so soft? 

Her fingers grabbed at his shirt. She pushed it up, letting her hands explore his incredible abdomen and his broad chest. Her hand brushed his sparse chest hair, feeling for the scars she knew were there.

Abruptly, he stopped kissing her. A worried expression crossed her face until she saw the one on Tai’s. He looked fierce. He looked _hungry_.

“I need to take your clothes off. _Now_.” Before Summer could move, he’d pulled her cami over her head. Her pants and panties came off together. She wondered if he noticed the massive wet spot she’d left on the panties. She hoped he did.

He pulled his own shirt over his head with surprising speed. He threw it on the floor, then paused. He looked Summer over, his gaze still hungry, his breathing fast. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks, knowing _she_ was the reason for the lusty look in his eyes. Having him look at her naked body was still a surreal feeling, but one she was coming to love.

He kissed her again, but didn’t linger long on her mouth. He left a trail of light kisses that went from her lips, to her chin, to between her breasts, to each nipple, and all the way down her stomach. He kissed her mound and continued on to right above her clit. She shivered.

Tai eased her thighs apart. It amazed Summer that her thighs could be so sensitive. Yet as he kissed them, she wriggled in pleasure. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was to feel those soft lips kiss her wet opening.

Her loud gasp made Tai chuckle. The vibrations from the sound felt oddly good on that sensitive place. His tongue licked her slit from bottom to top, where it circled her clit once, twice, three times before returning to her entrance. He kissed it as though kissing her mouth. The moan Summer made could have been mistaken for a whimper. She buried her hands in his hair and uttered a longer, more guttural moan.

She only opened her eyes when she felt Tai pull back. He was pulling his shorts off, and Summer watched with avid curiosity and fascination. She didn't have anything to compare it to, but she was impressed with the size and girth of his cock. For a moment, she was frightened when she remembered that _that_ was what would soon be inside her. How was it supposed to fit?! Despite that worry…

“I need you inside me,” she growled. He grinned, then climbed on top of her. He pushed the hair away from her face and looked into her eyes. His blue eyes were so kind. Her heart flopped over in her chest. This was love.

Something pressed against her wet opening. Keeping his eyes locked on her own, he moved a hand down to guide it into her entrance. He made a small grunt. Summer, still holding his gaze with those silver eyes, smiled and nodded.

With a thrust, he was in.

A little push, a little pain. But all of that was overshadowed by the sensation of being _filled_ with Tai. Her gasp was a deep one, and she was grateful for Tai's eye contact. It kept her grounded through the unfamiliar feeling that was rocking her world. And then his mouth was back on hers.

She could taste some of her own juices in his mouth, but it turned her on. He began to thrust into her with a steady rhythm and as the pain began to subside, Summer was aware of an intense feeling of intimacy, of connection. She moaned into his mouth and ran her hands up and down his back.

A hand cupped one of her breasts, kneading it with an intensity that matched his thrusts. It was almost painful, but Summer was beginning to understand that some pain was _good_. Tai pulled his head back so he could attach his mouth to her other breast. He sucked the nipple hard, eliciting a gasp from Summer. He let go.

“You’re so wet,” he groaned. “So tight.”

“You feel amazing,” she replied, her voice low and breathy. Tai’s mouth went back to her breast while the hand that was on the other breast slid down her stomach. It was a slow descent, eventually arriving at the soft thatch of hair on her mound. He rolled his fingers in it, and Summer could see the impish look on his face.

Finally, he stopped teasing. He pushed one of legs, and Summer got the hint to pull her knees back. It allowed Tai to bury himself deeper within her, and Summer’s moans became more rhythmic. The hand in her pubic hair began to rub the skin above her clit. 

Between the pressure of his cock inside her and the hand that was outside, Summer began to writhe. The heat, the electricity, was growing in her. Tai’s tongue was quickly flicking her nipple and Summer buried her face in his neck, trying to vent the intensity with hard, fast kisses. She wrapped her arms around him needily.

Two fingers slid onto each side of her clit, rapidly sliding them back and forth. “Oh, God!” she gasped. Her nails drove into the skin of his back, but neither she nor Tai gave it any acknowledgement. He increased his tempo, both with his thrusts and the speed with which he rubbed her clit. “Oh, God!” she moaned again. “Tai…”

She couldn’t finish that thought. The noise she made was loud and desperate and animalistic. Tai looked up from her breast, and she could see the smile that was growing on his face. 

“You sound so hot,” he murmured. The electricity that radiated from her core was reaching that welcome, familiar level. Summer could feel her muscles become rigid with anticipation.

“Tai, I’m… about to…” she tried to say, but she couldn’t finish the sentence. Powerful waves of pleasure wracked Summer’s body as she screamed, “God, I’m cumming!”

She could feel every pulse her orgasm made around Tai’s erection. It was more hot than she could have dreamed. A few squeezes in, she realized there was another pulsation. Tai’s groan was guttural as her own orgasm set his off. He freed his arms to wrap them around her, pulling her close. His last pumps into her were rough, almost painful to her newly-deflowered sex, but to Summer, those pumps were triumphant.

They remained where they were, gasping. Though deflating, Tai’s cock still felt filling, and she wanted to savor the feeling. She ran a hand up his back, only now realizing how sweaty it was. Using only her hands, she urged him to lay down beside her. Somehow, they maneuvered themselves in such a way to keep him inside her. He didn’t seem ready to break that connection, either.

“Wow,” she was all she could say when he pulled her body to his. She felt, rather than heard, his chuckle.

“The first time is rarely very good,” he told her. Was this an attempt at modesty?

“You set the bar pretty high, then!” Her laugh was tired, but giddy.

“I tried to do right by you. Ya know, make it memorable.” She looked up at his face, at the smile that held there. He was obviously pleased. She snuggled into him.

“Well, you did good. That was amazing.”

Summer closed her eyes, just enjoying resting her head on Tai’s chest. The emotions, the hormones, the physical experience, had all just combined to make her utterly exhausted. She didn’t know if she’d fallen asleep or not, but the next thing she knew, she was hearing baby noises from the living room.

She sighed, and began to get up, but Tai was faster. He had already pulled himself out of her and was sitting up. “I’ll get this one,” he told her. He _sounded_ tired, but Summer didn’t complain. As he pulled his shorts back on, Summer got under the blanket.

Curious, she glanced over to the place on the bed where Tai had taken her. There _was_ a little blood. Not much-- if she’d seen it on the battlefield, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But this little spot of blood represented something far deeper. She was with Tai. They were raising a child. She had no regrets.

And the wet sensation between her legs… the intimate joy it brought her couldn’t be defined. It was a reminder, though, that if she and Tai were to make this a habit, she’d have to be more careful. Maybe on her next visit to Vale, she’d get a contraceptive shot. She wasn’t too worried now. Her last period had been quite recent, so the chances of a mishap today was a slim. But she knew she needed to be prepared.

This was all too much for her to think about right now. The exhaustion had won. She snuggled herself deeper under the covers, selfishly hoping Tai wouldn’t be long.

He had finished dressing and come to her side of the bed, sitting beside her. Tenderly, he pushed her dark hair back from her forehead. He kissed it, then her lips, with gentleness.

“Out of all the people you could have had,” he mused, “you wanted me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she mumbled. He chuckled, then stroked her hair.

“No,” he said after a long moment. “I think I’m very lucky. I’m so glad you’re in my life.” He paused again. “I love you.”

“Yes,” Summer smiled sleepily. “I love you, too.”


	6. Chapter 6

Having sex for the first time was almost like learning to masturbate for the first time, Summer realized. She wanted to do it _all_ the time. Oftentimes, the baby wore them out and they didn't have the energy, but they were able to do it at a respectable frequency. Summer tried not to obsess over it. She even feared she was becoming a sex maniac, but Tai only laughed. 

“It's normal,” he assured her. “The obsession will die off eventually.”

Summer wasn't sure she wanted it to, but that would be a worry for another day. 

She was able to make it out to Vale one day for the contraceptive shot, which lessened her worries about the consequences to all the sex. While in the city, she was tempted to ask Ozpin for news about Qrow, but she resisted. She knew that he'd send a message if there was anything to report. Seeing Ozpin would have been uncomfortable, anyway. She had been ignoring his voicemails about more missions. She knew he wanted her to use her eyes for something, but it would have been risky. She couldn't leave Yang… or Tai.

Still, it was over a month before Qrow returned. 

“Qrow!” Summer cried out, giving him a tight hug before he could walk through the door.

“Hey, Summer.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “Long time no see.”

“I’ll say! You were gone way too long!” She ushered him in. “Tai! He’s here!”

“About time!” Tai emerged from the doorway with Yang. “What the hell took you so long?!”

“I would’ve come back sooner if I could,” Qrow shrugged. “The doctor I’ve been keeping my eye on kept escalating his behavior. I wanted to observe as much as I could.”

A sudden smile broke on his face. “Wow, she’s gotten so big!” As Tai approached, Qrow bent down to get a better look at the baby. “Hey there, girlie.”

Yang blinked her big, blue eyes at her uncle. 

“Did she have this much hair last time I visited?” he asked, almost accusatory. “And blonde? I guess you didn’t get my good looks after all, kid.”

A toothless smile brightened Yang’s face. It was true that she had suddenly grown a lot of hair. Summer rather liked that it was blonde. Black hair would have reminded her too much of Raven. Already, Summer was dreaming of the day it would be long enough to play with. Pigtails, braids, buns… Yang’s hair would be so much fun.

“It looks like she’s glad she didn’t inherit your ugly mug,” Tai teased. Summer laughed. 

“It’s still early… maybe she’ll develop my features as she grows older.”

“God help her then,” Tai retorted.

Qrow offered to stay with them until he was called away on another mission, which the couple had happily accepted. Summer privately hoped it meant that she and Tai could explore their relationship more. He kept expressing frustration that he hadn’t taken her on a proper date yet, but now that Qrow was here, a date was a real possibility. Assuming he could learn to care for Yang, that is.

“Why do I have to push the stroller?” he grumbled later that afternoon.

“It’s a good skill to learn,” Summer replied with a grin. 

“It’s a _stroller_ , not a weapon.” She could see his complaining was all for show. He kept making faces at Yang whenever he thought nobody was looking. He was smitten with the drooly little thing. It warmed Summer’s heart.

She and Tai led the way down the path, holding hands. It was nice to be on a walk without worrying about the baby. How often had she been able to hold Tai’s hand on these walks?

As soon as they stepped into the clearing at the cliff’s edge, Summer could feel wind make her hood billow around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the salty air. This was her favorite spot on Patch, maybe even in the whole world. The crashing waves sounded distant. 

Tai’s arm slipped around her waist and Summer leaned into him.

“It’s so beautiful here.”

“As you’ve said before.”

“Nothing feels more right than being here with you.” She looked up at him and smiled shyly.

He bent down to kiss her. She met his lips, still smiling.

“Oh, come on, guys. Get a room!” Qrow whined. Tai and Summer broke apart to laugh as Qrow pushed the stroller to where they stood. “It’s a nice view.”

“It’s the best view on Patch,” Summer corrected him. Tai laughed again.

“We usually come here a few times a week with Yang,” he added. “It makes for good exercise for us, too.”

“Are you two going to start training again?” Qrow asked. Summer and Tai exchanged a surprised look.

“I probably will,” Summer admitted. “Just some basic missions. I need to earn some money, after all.”

“I probably should, too,” Tai said, sighing. “Raven left most of her lien with me, did you know that? No? Oh, well, I think she left it as some sort of child support. But I need to bring some more income in.”

“If you want, I can babysit while you train. And, if my schedule allows it, when you go on missions, too.”

“Thanks, Qrow,” Tai replied warmly. “I may take you up on that. Between you and Summer, there really isn’t an excuse to not go on missions.”

“Basic ones, though,” Summer reminded him. “Nothing for Ozpin.”

She caught Qrow’s wince. She gave him a patient smile. “It’s nothing against him. His missions are noble. But they’re dangerous, and we’re not risking our lives when Yang needs us. And did I ever tell you about what he told me about my mother’s death?”

“Murdered because of her eyes,” Tai said quietly. Qrow looked truly startled.

“I had no idea it was because of that.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was glum. “I’m not going to do anything that brings attention to my eyes. Not anymore.”

“I understand,” Qrow replied, sounding repentant. Summer shrugged. 

“I’ll do basic missions, though. Typical search-and-destroy. I’m not giving up being a huntress.” She paused. “It’s good for Yang, too, to have a huntress for a mother.” She allowed herself a smile.

“Are you going to be a little huntress, kid?” Qrow had bent over the stroller, and his goofy look for Yang almost had Summer laughing again.

Yang blew a raspberry at him, and they all gave into laughter. 

A few days later, Summer was sitting behind Tai on his motorcycle. They’d taken the ferry off Patch to hit Vale on their first official date. Tai had been moaning for weeks about how he was leading their relationship in a completely backward direction, but Summer was glad for the date anyway. They hadn’t spent any time together without Yang since… well, forever.

She held her arms around his waist, laughing, as her hood blew behind them. Summer had never been on a motorcycle before, but she was loving it.

Tai had been very secretive about where he was taking her, which both excited her and concerned her. She trusted that he knew her well enough to not take her anywhere bad, but she wasn’t used to surprises. It was odd to cede control to this wonderful, handsome man. She rested her head against his back.

They rode in silence down the bustling streets. Returning to Vale always felt like returning to her childhood. It had only been a few years since STRQ had finished their time at Beacon, but it felt like eons. She had been so, so young, so immature for her age. Qrow and Raven had frightened her at first, but Tai had been kind to her from the beginning. A crush on him had been inevitable. But even then, she had never dared to dream of being in the place she was in now.

Tai pulled into some street parking outside a simple-looking white building. A cursive sign on the top said _Open Waters_. 

“What is this place? I’ve never heard of it,” she told him.

“It’s new,” he replied, his smile broad. “I’ve heard it’s really good, though.”

“So what do they have?”

He offered her a hand to help her off the motorcycle. She accepted, more to hold his hand than for help. It was a touch more intimate than Summer had ever suspected it could be. His hands were much larger than her own. They felt safe.

The restaurant, to her relief, wasn’t painfully formal. Though somewhat fancy, it had a relaxed vibe.

This was a _date_. With _Tai_.

After checking Tai’s reservation, the waiter led them away to a small table. Summer really wanted to point out the cliché of a candlelight dinner, but she didn’t know if Tai would appreciate the jab. Instead, she asked the waiter for a glass of the house red wine. So did Tai.

“I didn’t know you were a wine person,” she commented.

“I am. Sometimes.” He grinned. “I don’t know much about vintage or decanting or whatever, but I can appreciate the alcoholic content!”

She had to laugh. Upon perusal of the menu, she saw that this place was clearly a seafood restaurant. She _loved_ seafood. Tai knew her well.

“So,” he said after they placed their orders. He raised his eyebrows. “I finally got to take you for a candlelit dinner.”

Summer burst out laughing and Tai joined her. “I was just thinking how cheesy a dinner by candlelight was.”

“Well, we’ve avoided cheese until now,” he pointed out. “It’s long overdue.”

“I don’t mind. This looks like a pretty nice place!”

“Qrow told me about it when it opened up. It has good reviews, so I thought, why not?”

“I’m glad you brought me here.” Summer’s smile was truly a happy one. Tai reached his hands across the table, and Summer put her own into them. He returned the smile.

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long, beautiful moment. They might have even stared longer if they weren’t interrupted.

“Taiyang?! Is that you?!”

They looked over in surprise at the blue-haired man at a nearby table. Though it was a table of four, he seemed to be the only one there. Summer frowned, trying to place the man. She felt she knew him…

“Cobalt? Is that you?” Tai asked. He looked surprised, but not necessarily pleased by it.

“It’s been ages, man!”

Summer was annoyed as the man leaped up to walk over to their table. Couldn’t he see they were on a date? She remembered him as a boy a couple years ahead of them at Beacon, a member of Team MACE. He was a piece of work, but he got along with Tai pretty well.

“Are you here with Raven?” Cobalt asked, his eyes wandering over to Summer. He realized his faux-pas quickly, for his eyes widened. “Oh, shit, I didn’t know. Sorry, man.”

Summer rolled her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Tai asked. He noticed Summer’s irritation, but he also had that sweet, infuriating habit of trying to be civil.

“Ozpin wants Team MACE to reunite!” he announced, his enthusiastic grin almost dopey. “So we’re all meeting here to talk it over.”

“And you’re early? That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Ya know, I matured quite a lot after Beacon,” Cobalt replied, puffing his chest out. He slid his blue eyes over Tai and Summer’s hands. “So, uh, are you with Summer now?”

For the first time, Summer watched a scowl deepen Tai’s brow. Cobalt was finally getting under his skin. “I am.”

There was a long moment of silence. She couldn’t tell if Cobalt was expecting an explanation or if he was just trying to get this revelation through his thick skull. At long last, the man shrugged, and his eyes flickered over to the entrance. “Well, there’s Enid. I bet the others will be here soon, too. Nice seeing you, Taiyang!”

“Likewise,” Tai remarked dryly as the man scampered off. Summer let out a huff of disgust.

“He has the tact of a damn Ursa,” she muttered. Tai squeezed her hands.

“I’m more surprised that Ozpin wants MACE to reunite,” he said, looking puzzled. “I know they were great at Beacon, but why would he want them to reunite?”

“I have no idea. Would Qrow know?” The news was troubling. Ozpin didn’t have many people in his circle. Did this mean he was letting a new team in now that STRQ was broken?

“You know what? We can think of this another time. Tonight is for _you_ and _me_.”

Summer’s silver eyes flickered to Cobalt and Enid, walking to their table. It would be so easy to listen in… but no. She nodded vigorously to what Tai said.

“You and me,” she echoed. They leaned across the table to kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know Yang's eyes are lilac. But she's also two months old. I figured her eyes haven't settled on their permanent color yet.
> 
> Life has been crazy since my last chapter. Turned another year older, my pregnant goat had a late and difficult birth... and RWBY is making my emotions go all over the damn place. Thanks for the patience, and understanding of any typos that may have slipped through!


	7. Chapter 7

For some reason, they were fucking on the kitchen table. Summer lay on her back and Tai was standing, thrusting into her with wild ferocity. One of his hands clutched at one breast. She was moaning, her hips bucking to meet each thrust he dealt.

She had been gone on a two-day mission. She had been on a few since they decided to go on missions again, but she could never get used to being away from her family. And God, she would never be used to being so horny so often.

Tai let go of her breast to slide his hands under her sweaty back. He pulled her up and close into his body. She kissed his neck as his fingernails raked over her back. And then--

“Oh, _gross_ , guys, what the fuck?!”

That was Qrow’s voice. Summer, embarrassed and dismayed, wasn’t sure what to do. She flailed her arms and she could feel heat rise to her face.

“Get out! Get out!” she screamed.

“I’m out!” Qrow yelled back.

A door slammed. Summer looked at Tai in horror. He had stopped thrusting when they’d been intruded on, but he began again, slowly.

“He is _not_ ruining this for us,” he panted.

Despite his determination, the mood was killed for Summer. She reassured him that he could work on her later, and with that happy thought, he gave up and came deep inside her.

“His fucking semblance,” Tai grumbled as he pulled his shorts back on. Summer managed to get her own clothes on the right way.

“I’ll clean up in here, you do damage control,” she instructed. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

“You got it, team leader!”

She had to slap his ass at that. “That’s enough out of you!”

As she wiped the table down with some cleaner, she could hear yelling outside. She winced, but she got the feeling that everyone was more surprised than angry.

“Why didn’t you knock?!” Tai demanded.

“I’ve never knocked before! Why on the fucking table?!”

“Tables are easy to clean! Why didn’t you tell us you were on your way back?!”

“I thought it’d be a nice surprise!” Summer thought she heard a trace of a whine in Qrow’s voice. 

“Surprises are dangerous with you, ya know?!” She could only imagine the grand arm gestures Tai was using. She sighed. She didn’t know how she’d be able to face Qrow after this.

“You’re going to have to pay for my surgery, Tai!” Qrow wailed.

“Huh?”

“Your skinny white ass just about blinded me!”

Summer’s laughter was uncontrollable and loud. She covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from being heard, but to no avail. 

“Summer probably needs to see a surgeon, too. It can’t be healthy to stare at that all the time. It’s like staring into the damn sun!”

She fell to her knees, the laughter spewing out of her in great cackles.

“Thanks, honey,” Tai grumbled.

When everyone had recovered, they reconvened for coffee on the couch. It was reassuring that Qrow said he didn’t see much of her; Tai had been blocking all the important bits of her anatomy. Still, it was hard to meet his eyes.

“Where’s Yang?” Qrow asked eagerly.

“Napping, and don’t you dare wake her up,” Summer warned him. “Tai says she didn’t sleep well last night. I think it’s because she missed me.”

Tai snorted at that. “I told you, she put something in her mouth she shouldn’t have. It gave her the runs.”

“She wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t miss me!” Summer sang.

“Is she feeling okay now?” Qrow asked, the worry written plainly on his face.

“As of her last poop, all is well!” Tai reassured him. “You can have the next diaper, if you like. Ya know, to be sure.”

“How was your mission?” Summer asked. Qrow frowned, and shook his head.

“It was supposed to be a recovery mission, but there wasn’t much to recover.” A troubled look passed over Qrow’s face. “There wasn’t much left of those huntsmen.”

Tai gave a low whistle. “How many?”

“A whole team. I only found bits and pieces of them.”

The notion made Summer feel sick. “That’s horrible.”

Qrow was silent for a minute, bracing himself. “Summer, Ozpin wants to meet with you.”

How far could her heart sink?

“I’m not doing any missions for him,” she said flatly. “You just told me that a whole team was annihilated. There’s no way I’m taking up any missions for that man.”

“He just wants to talk,” Qrow pressed. He paused, then gave a weak smile. “Please? He won’t stop pestering me about you. You just up and left him as though he’s a bad boyfriend. You know he’s a good man. He at least deserves to hear it directly from you.”

She grimaced. Ozpin was a hard man to say no to. That was why she’d been avoiding him, after all. Unsure, she looked at Tai, whose expression was maddeningly neutral. 

“Can Tai come with me?” she asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Qrow sounded as close to eager as he ever could. “If you want, I know he’d love to meet Yang. He always asks to see pictures. We could all go together. We’re on your side, Summer.”

It was still worrying to her, but she knew Tai and Qrow wouldn’t let her get railroaded. She licked her lips nervously.

“I guess,” she replied, trying not to sound as dispirited as she felt. Tai put an arm around her shoulders. He kissed her neck.

“I’ll be there,” he promised. Her returning smile was small.

That evening, Tai made love to her gently. They were in the bed this time, and they had to be quiet, but Summer was grateful to Tai’s ministrations. His fingers flittered up and down her moist slit. She squirmed in delight at his light touch. 

She was soaking wet by the time his cock was inside her. It was so, so hard to keep from calling out. As if sensing her struggle, Tai planted his mouth on hers. She allowed herself to moan loudly into his mouth. Her approval spurred him on, for he pumped faster into her. 

It was just so good to be back home, connected to her love in the most carnal of ways.

He eventually moved his mouth to one breast, then the other. He gave each tender attention. His tongue teased its way around each nipple, making Summer shudder each time he got close. Every flick of a nipple left her quivering. When he took one breast into her mouth, she buried her fingers in his blonde hair, pulling his head closer into her breast. He sucked it insistently and it was all she could do to keep her exhales quiet.

She hadn’t noticed that he moved a hand to her clit until it was there. He rubbed slow circles around it, and it wasn’t long until her whole body pulsated in climax. She couldn’t stop the loud moan that emerged. Tai’s body shook as he groaned. She felt the familiar throb of his shaft emptying itself into her body.

He pulled away from Summer’s breast with a popping sound. His eyes darted from one erect nipple to the other, then came to rest on her face. Pink splotches colored her face. Tai’s smile was sweet and loving.

“I love you,” he said when he caught his breath. God, she loved it when he said that.

“And I love you,” she replied with her own smile.

“We’re not going to let Ozpin make you do anything you don’t want to do,” he told her fervently.

“Please don’t talk about him while you’re inside me!” She laughed. He laughed. 

He traced a finger from her hip, up the curve of her waist, then onto the swell of her breast. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

He withdrew from her with a hiss, then pulled her into his arms. Summer cuddled into his embrace. Being in his arms, she could believe that she would be safe from any manipulations Ozpin might present. 

The next day, the four of them left for Vale on the Patch Ferry. Yang was tucked securely in her stroller. She was babbling happily, unbothered by her first boat ride. Summer had tried to tame that thick blonde hair with a headband, but Yang screamed until she took it back off. Instead, Summer had clipped in a little bow, which Yang didn’t mind as much. 

“I’ve never seen a baby with so much hair!” she laughed.

Qrow hesitated, then said, “From our baby pictures, it looked like Raven’s was just as bushy.”

A depressed silence followed that statement.

“You sure know how to put everyone in a good mood,” Tai finally said to break the tension. Qrow shrugged.

“That’s just my nature, I guess.”

Most of the trip was quiet. There was some nervous chatter to and about Yang, but Summer knew this trip was making everyone uneasy. When it was time to board the airship to Beacon, Qrow said he’d fly ahead to let Ozpin know they were coming, as well as to save a couple lien. Summer spent the flight in Tai’s arms, sponging up the comfort he offered.

“Your baby is so cute!” an older woman beside them exclaimed. “So much hair!”

“Thank you,” Tai said, grinning. Yang, as though sensing a compliment, smiled toothlessly at the woman.

“Such a charmer,” Summer giggled, tickling the baby’s belly. Yang gurgled her pleasure,

“Enjoy her while she’s still a baby!” the woman winked. “Once they start talking back, you’ll be ready to send her back where she came from!”

“Do you have many?”

“Two,” she sighed. “My youngest, Gretchen, is still at Beacon. She must be causing trouble again. She’s always been a sassy girl, but I’ve never been called to school for bad behavior before.”

“Oh, I’ve never even thought of that,” Tai groaned. “Yang, you’re not going to be sassy, are you?”

She gurgled again. 

Upon landing, they decided to walk Yang around the courtyard and check her diaper before heading to the tower. Summer rehearsed rebuttals in her head in preparation for dealing with Ozpin. He was a smart man. She had a suspicion that he would pull out all the stops to get her to use her eyes on one of his missions. Or, she thought more optimistically, maybe seeing Yang would soften his old heart.

When they arrived, they were surprised to see the woman from the airship already running down the corridor in the opposite direction. Tai and Summer looked at each other questioningly, but said nothing.

They knocked at the door. 

“Come in,” a pleasant voice called. 

When they walked in, they saw Qrow helping himself to the flask he was starting to carry around. Summer resisted the urge to call him out on his rude behavior. Tai was already pushing the stroller to Ozpin’s desk.

“It’s good to see you, Miss Rose, Mr. Xiao Long,” the man said in greeting. “And this must be the baby Qrow’s told me so much about.”

“Hey, Oz,” Tai said with a nod. Ozpin got up and walked around his desk to get a closer look at Yang. A rare smile spread across his face.

“She’s quite beautiful. Even in the darkest of times, a baby offers the world so much hope.” Ozpin’s voice was mild, but his words were depressing, even for him. 

“Darkest of times?” Tai asked. He was frowning. 

“When a team turns up dead on a mission, or a student gets killed on a training mission, those are not signs that things are going well.” The smile had disappeared from Ozpin’s face.

“Oh, God.” The look on Tai’s face was a heartbreaking one. Summer tried to harden her resolve.

“This is why I’ve been trying to get the best help I can find.” Ozpin’s gaze turned to Summer. Here it comes.

“Team MACE is a good team,” she pointed out. “Tai and I ran into them a couple months ago.”

“They’re the team that Qrow found dead,” Oz replied mildly. 

It was like a slap to the face. Summer could only stare in horror for a long moment. She was aware of Qrow taking another drink, and of Tai taking her hand. She thought of Cobalt and his brazen behavior.

“That was _them_?!” she asked, her voice breathless.

“Dark forces are moving,” he explained. He lifted his mug from the desk, looked at it as though looking for answers, then took a long sip. “They’re not the only casualties we’ve had lately.” He paused. “It’s something that you and your powers could change.”

She stared at him, dumb. She looked at Tai, hoping she would find something there to give her a clear-cut answer. His face only showed amazement and horror.

“Oz, I know what you do is important. That’s why STRQ did so much for you in the first place. But we have a baby now. We have her to think about.” Somehow, Summer was able to keep her voice calm. The look Ozpin was giving her was hard to see behind his glasses, but she saw no expression.

“What you’ve done for Mr. Xiao Long and the baby is admirable, Miss Rose,” he said. “But you do know that she is not your child.”

The world stopped spinning. She heard an audible gasp from Tai and she saw, from the corner of her eyes, an utterly shocked expression on Qrow. He even dropped his flask. 

Did Ozpin even realize how disgusting and wrong his statement was? She wanted to lash out at him, maybe even to strike him. She gritted her teeth and stared at him with pure hatred. She paced herself as she approached him. She clenched her fists and looked him in the eyes.

“Maybe _you_ don’t remember what it’s like to have a family, Oz,” she spat the words out, “or maybe you never _knew_. But just because _you_ don’t know doesn’t mean that _I_ don’t.”

With that, she turned her heel and left the room, Tai and Yang right behind her. 

Qrow came running behind only a couple minutes later. “Summer--”

“No. I’m done.” She kept walking.

“No, Summer, damn it, I’m not telling you to stop. I was going to say that what he said was fucked up. And you have every right to walk away from him.”

She did stop then. She turned to face Qrow and Tai, and it was only then that she realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Tai wrapped Summer in a tight embrace. She felt more arms around her. Was Qrow hugging her, too?!

“He was _wrong_.” Tai’s voice was almost a bellow. “Everyone who matters know that you’re Yang’s mother.”

And she was sobbing.

“I know I am,” she gasped out. “But who could be so heartless?”

The arms around her were comforting, but they didn’t slow her sobs. There was fury, there was grief that someone could invalidate her so easily.

“Summer, he doesn’t know anything,” Qrow told her, his voice almost a croak. “We know. Yang knows.”

The sobs eventually began to subside. She pulled Tai closer to her with one arm, then wrapped her other arm around Qrow. “You guys and Yang are all the family I’ve got, and all that I need. Oz can go fuck himself.”

She heard and felt Qrow’s throaty chuckle, and felt Tai’s smile against the top of her head. 

“Then let’s go home, love,” Tai murmured.

So they did.


	8. Chapter 8

Summer enjoyed her missions. She had always felt called to help people, and doing it gave her immense satisfaction. It was why she had become a huntress, after all.

But motherhood was something she loved even more.

She was snuggled up to Tai on the couch, watching Yang where she sat on a blanket on the floor. Her little pudgy fingers were gripping a wooden alphabet block. After giving it a look of careful consideration, Yang put one of the corners in her mouth and began to gnaw it. Her two new teeth were just begging to be used.

At least she wasn’t crying anymore. When those teeth first started coming in, both Summer and Tai were ready to rip their hair out at Yang’s incessant crying. How long would it be until the next tooth repeated that episode?

She hoped Qrow would be back by that time. While he had been angry with Ozpin, his guilt caused him to return just a few weeks after what happened at Beacon. It saddened her that Qrow felt so indebted to the man, but she knew he also felt, as a huntsman, that it was his duty to use his transformative powers for good. Summer could understand his logic, even if she didn’t care for it. It had been nearly a month since he’d left.

Summer’s arm wrapped around Tai’s stomach. He was fast asleep.

With the rain outside, this afternoon was definitely a sleepy one.

Yang suddenly squealed. Summer raised her eyebrows as Yang flung her drooly block across the blanket. It made Summer smile. Tai cracked an eye open to regard his daughter.

“Have a nice nap?” she asked, amused.

“I wasn’t napping!” A yawn betrayed him on the last word, making Summer laugh. 

“Right.” She poked his side and he jumped. 

Yang, in the meantime, had decided she wanted another of her toys. One arm was stretching toward it, but she leaned too far over and toppled down. She gave a distressed wail, but neither Summer nor Tai moved to help. Still making unhappy sounds, Yang pushed herself back onto her bottom. 

“She’ll start standing soon,” Tai said confidently. At seven months, Yang was already able to pull herself up when there was something to hold onto. It amazed Summer how quickly Yang was growing. It seemed like she had only just moved in with Tai and his newborn daughter. Life with them was routine, normal, and perfect. Motherhood fit Summer like a glove.

“What time is it?” Tai asked. Summer pulled out her scroll. 

“Almost 4.”

“It’s about time for someone’s nap!” he said cheerfully.

“Other than yours?” Summer grinned. Tai gave her nose a quick pinch.

“Let’s hope Yang doesn’t pick up your sass!” he teased. She stuck her tongue out in reply.

After Yang had been tucked into her crib, Tai and Summer reconvened in the bedroom. No words were said; he simply guided her to lay in the protective crescent of his body. The bulge she felt against her ass wasn’t excited, though she knew now how quickly she could change that. Not that she necessarily wanted to just this moment. Just being cuddled to him like this made her feel so, so happy.

One arm slid underneath her, settling beneath her breasts to pull her even closer into him. His other arm draped over her stomach. The way his hand pressed against it revived the ache she was constantly trying to suppress. _Not yet_ , she kept telling herself. _You’re not ready for one of your own_.

Or was she?

Summer knew by now that she could care for a baby. What she was afraid of, though, were things changing with Tai. Their routine was safe. Their lives were safe. Throwing another baby into the mix would set everything on its head. Who could know how Yang would feel about having a brother or sister who shared blood with Summer? Would she feel left out? Being pregnant would make it impossible to do missions for a while, and even postpartum, it would take a long time for her body to readjust. She didn’t like the idea of Tai being the only one to go out on missions.

The way things were now was much safer, but it didn’t rid her of the instinctive drive to reproduce.

Tai’s scroll dinged. With an annoyed mutter, he moved his hand from Summer’s stomach to reach for his scroll. 

“Is it Qrow?” she asked.

“No… it’s Barty.”

“Oobleck?” Summer rolled over, truly startled as Tai sat up. “What does _he_ want?

Even though they had all been in the same year at Beacon, Summer couldn’t say she knew him well. He’d been a weasely, nerdy kid. He was the kind of kid who got worked up and overly excited over whatever he was passionate about at the time. Tai, of course, had been friendly with most of the guys at school, including Barty. That friendship had caused near-hero worship of Tai, as the green-haired weirdo didn’t have many friends that weren’t his own teammates. Raven had speculated to Summer once that she thought Barty had a crush on Tai. 

She knew Tai visited him from time to time on his sojourns to Vale. It had come as no surprise to Summer to find that Barty was now working on his dissertation.

“He wants to know if he can come over for Thanksgiving,” Tai told her, sounding surprised. “He usually goes back to his family in Atlas, but he said that he doesn’t want to leave his work for so long.” He gave a heavy sigh.

“It would be kind to let him come,” Summer replied. She took his hand in hers. “He’s a good guy. I’m sure it’s very lonely to be so caught up in your work.”

Tai gave her a crooked smile. “You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. Especially if he helps with dishes.” She gave him a wink.

Summer hadn’t been looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. It was supposed to be a time of celebration, a time to reflect on the peace after the major war in the past. Usually, it had been just STRQ, a time for happiness and tipsy reunions. This year would be much different. 

But, damn it, who said it couldn’t be just as joyous as before?

She doubled down her resolve. “It’ll be great,” she said with more enthusiasm than she truly felt. “It’ll be Yang’s first. I bet we can give her some mashed potatoes, and maybe dress her up!”

Tai laughed. “It sounds like you’re just looking for an excuse to dress her up.”

“And why not? She’s the cutest baby on the planet!”

He was still chuckling as he typed a reply to Barty. Summer bounced off the bed and walked over to where he sat. Eyebrows raised, he looked up at her. He set his scroll down on the nightstand.

“What can I do for you, Miss Rose?” he asked, sounding too innocent. 

She didn’t respond. Instead, she moved his hands to her waist. He held onto her as she straddled him, positioning herself strategically over his bulge. She grinded herself against it as she leaned forward to kiss him. He returned it, ready and eager. One of his hands moved to the small of her back, then stole away under her shirt. He thumbed beneath the strap of her bra.

He pulled her shirt up with his other hand. She helped him get rid of it by wriggling out of it, and it was soon tossed to the floor, forgotten. Tai pulled away to kiss her neck. The intensity of the kiss-- the sucking of it, rather-- was going to leave a love bite, she knew, but she didn’t care. Being marked by him was _hot_.

Slow, wet kisses trailed down from her neck to her shallow cleavage. Summer tucked her fingers beneath the waistband of his shorts, wishing she could go deeper, yet Tai didn’t move to get up. He was focused on running his tongue along the outline of her white bra. On occasion, he would dart his tongue underneath it to see how far it would reach. It was enough to tease, but not enough to reach the prize

Just as Summer had forgotten his other hand, Tai had managed to unclasp her bra with it. He was so adept, Summer thought with fleeting admiration. She pulled her bra off, freeing her breasts and giving Tai access to her nipples. He did not immediately take advantage of them. His tongue worked slowly, outlining her areola several times before circling inward. When he reached it, he flicked it, taunting her.

Though she was breathing heavily, she was only just getting started. Summer unbuttoned his shorts and unzipped the fly. She shifted her weight to her knees so she could massage his hardening member. In what must have been retaliation, Tai lightly bit her nipple. She gasped, but didn’t cease her movements. As Tai started to suck it earnest, Summer moved her hand into his boxers. She moved her hand in long, agonizingly slow strokes. Tai was groaning, his fingernails digging into her back and side.

He was at a point where Summer figured his erection (and her attentions) might begin to cause more discomfort than pleasure. She scooted off him to stand before him, breasts bared. He stared at her hungrily.

“Take your clothes off,” she instructed him. He obeyed. She watched the rippling of his muscles as he tossed each article of clothing to the floor. His shirt, his shorts, his boxers. He was fully erect. Summer fell to her knees.

She still didn’t feel very good at blowjobs, but Tai always seemed to love her attempts anyway. She rubbed his shaft up and down at first, then planted a tentative kiss to his tip. She kissed along his shaft, leaving a very wet trail that she licked when she trailed back upwards. Only then did she take him into her mouth.

Animalistic grunts were Summer’s only clue that she was doing well. He was in and out of her mouth, with Summer occasional flicking her tongue along the shaft, or circling his tip. She could feel herself growing wetter and wetter as she was making his cock wetter and wetter. With her free hand, she undid her pants and stuck her hand into her panties. She couldn’t finger herself as thoroughly as she might have if she wasn’t focused on Tai, but she could feel how soaked she was. Just the sensation of touching herself in the slightest way felt wonderful.

“Get on top of me,” Tai growled. Mouth still on his cock, she looked up at him. He looked back down at her, his blue eyes wild. He pushed her hair away from her face. “Fuck, you’re so hot.”

Summer blushed a little, but she also smiled. She slowly removed her mouth from him and stood back up. He was looking at her hand.

“Were you just fingering yourself?” he asked. He was smiling. She only nodded, and he grabbed the offending wrist. He looked at her glistening fingers, then pulled her fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean. She was blushing again, which made Tai laugh. 

He reached his hands to her waist and pushed her pants down. Summer pulled them the rest of the way off as quickly as she could, eager to have him inside her again. It felt as though her entire womanhood was throbbing with need. Despite this, she climbed back onto his lap with deliberate slowness and aligned his cock with her wet slit. Gingerly, she impaled herself on him.

He groaned. As her body moved up and down, he pulled her head toward his own, locking his mouth with hers. His tongue probed deep, in time with her gyrating hips. His own were bucking against her and it was all Summer could do to maintain control of the situation. 

She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her breasts again his chest. The breaths were ragged, but kept in rhythm with their motions.

Tai stopped kissing her to rest his face on her shoulder. His breathing was becoming shallower. Summer slowed her pace, drawing out the moment. She gently pushed his head from her shoulder so she could rest her sweaty forehead on his own. Their eyes locked and Summer’s lips quirked into a small smile.

And it was enough. He gasped her name as he shot his load deep into her. The twitching of his cock inside her was incredibly satisfying. He kissed her again, more gentle than he had been before.

“Let me hold you, Summer,” he said, his voice hoarse.

She obeyed, climbing off of him to sit beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down so that once again, they were spooning. He cupped one of her breasts with one hand and caressed the nipple. Summer shivered.

His other hand crept down so slowly that she half-wondered if he was even moving it. The junction between her legs was wet with both her own juices and Tai’s creamy spunk. Her groan was deep as he played with her smooth lips. His fingers twirled around in her opening, while the fingers on his other hand pinched her nipple between thumb and forefinger. Her breaths were quickening again. 

He massaged her mound where it would put just enough pressure on her clit to make her tremble ever-so-slightly. She was aware of the mild wetness his fingers left behind as he, at last, focused on that desperate nub.

She reached climax quickly.

Summer’s body was nothing but a tangle of electric nerves and she was at its mercy. She cried out and clutched at Tai’s arm. The action made him release her nipple and he hugged her close to him as the waves of pleasure ebbed.

She collapsed into his body, still quivering a little. His hands ran across her body as though trying to blanket her with his touch. She felt his lips kissing the back of her neck.

It was this feeling of closeness to Tai that Summer _almost_ asked him about having a baby. Her mouth even opened and started to form the words before her fear silenced her. She didn’t want to ruin this moment with him, not now. Later, perhaps another day, she would try to gauge his feelings on the subject. 

But not today.


	9. Chapter 9

She couldn't remember Thanksgiving ever being so stressful.

Summer had to banish Qrow from the kitchen after he dropped the entire bowl of mashed potatoes on the floor. The turkey was still in the oven, though it was nearly done. Tai was peeling a fresh batch of potatoes and Summer was trying to set everything else on the table with as little mess as possible. She was grateful that Barty was bringing the dessert. This was the most she could handle, and even this was a stretch. 

The oven beeped and Summer bustled over to pull the turkey out. How could a bird be so heavy?! Tai had jokingly offered to put Qrow in for the Thanksgiving bird instead. “Crows are much smaller,” he’d teased the man. This was before Summer had kicked Qrow out of the kitchen, and the name he called Tai had been so elaborate, creative, and colorful that it made Summer blush.

As she set the turkey on the stove, her thoughts went elsewhere for a moment. Not thinking, her finger carelessly brushed against the hot pan. She squeaked in surprise and pain.

“Shit,” she hissed, sticking the finger into her mouth. The action didn't really soothe it, but doing something felt better than crying over it.

“What happened?” Tai had dropped the potato he was on working on to rush over to her.

“I'm fine,” she snapped. She winced, knowing how harsh it sounded. She really didn't mean to sound so awful. Tai didn't look hurt, only concerned. “Just burned myself a little. I'll be okay.”

He pulled her close to him, and though she just didn't have the time, she let him. She took a few deep breaths, urging herself to relax. Tai rubbed her back for a few minutes. Her breathing eased.

“Just remember, no one here is going to care if something isn't perfect,” he reminded her. She nodded, the movement making her head rub against his chest.

“I know. It's just… different than I'm used to.”

“It's different for all of us.”

With obvious reluctance, Tai's arms slid away from her back and released her.

Barty arrived a short time later. Summer was mashing the potatoes, so she could only hear the commotion at the door. And it _was_ a commotion. 

“Oh, of course! There's always room here!”

Raising her eyebrows, Summer decided to leave the potatoes for a moment to see what was going on. She didn't like the sound of what Tai was saying.

Before she could go far, there was a big, booming laugh. Shit.

Professor Port was apparently joining them for Thanksgiving.

She didn't mind Port, usually. He made the odd inappropriate comment now and then, but he was mostly tolerable. She only wished she had known he'd be coming!

She went back to her mashing. Doing it a second time wasn't as therapeutic as it was the first time around.

To her relief, Barty helped Tai finish the preparations. He was talking Tai's ear off, but bless his heart, Tai didn't seem to mind. He was trying to redirect the conversation from the dissertation to some of Barty's occasional missions.

“There's a higher level of activity in Atlas this past year than there’s been in fifty years! Ozpin is concerned. Ironwood is being tapped as the next military commander, did you know that? He's not who Ozpin would have chosen, but I've worked with him before and found him impressive.”

“I've heard that name before…”

“He was the one who was ripped apart by Grimm. He's the robotic fellow.”

Summer tried not to listen. She didn't want to even know about anything that involved Ozpin, but she had been so invested in that life for so long that it was hard to fully extricate herself. She hummed to herself, hoping it would drown the men out just enough to give her some peace. 

She filled the sink with soapy water and put in the dirty dishes to soak. All there was left to do was eat. 

When she got to the living room, she had to smile. Yang was planted on Port's lap, facing him. One chubby hand was giving his mustache a firm yank. Qrow was cackling as Port tried to loosen Yang's grip. 

“A big, strong warrior can't take on a baby?” Summer couldn't help but tease him. 

“She's very strong for a tyke!” he replied with a loud laugh. “Mark my words, she'll be a huntress someday!”

“Taking down the mightiest of monsters and fiercest of professors!” she told him with a laugh of her own. 

“I don't doubt it!” He finally managed to free his mustache from Yang's clutches. He massaged his upper lip while Summer took Yang.

“I came in to let you know that dinner's on the table,” she informed both men. Port jumped to his feet with speed that startled Summer.

“Then let's begin!” he boomed.

After they had all served themselves and Yang, Tai gave the traditional toast. “To peace and to hope for the future.”

“May it yet be so,” the rest chorused. They clinked their glasses and Barty's thermos.

Yang seemed to enjoy her mashed potatoes. Her bib, which used to clearly say “My First Thanksgiving!” was now coated in a healthy layer of them. She noshed them with an occasional shriek of glee or a giggle.

“I've never seen a baby with _so much_ hair!” Port shook his head in amazement.

“I can only imagine how it'll get once she get older! She's going to clog the shower drain,” Tai snorted. 

“You'll need to teach her to do it from the get-go,” Qrow warned. “Raven _never_ remembered, then she would get mad when the water wouldn't go down. She always blamed my semblance for it.”

“Has anyone heard from her?” Barty asked. His question came out so quickly that Summer had to wonder if he had been meaning to ask this all along. Tai looked uncomfortably at Summer, who shook her head.

“None.”

“Well…” Qrow sounded hesitant. “She found me a couple months ago.”

“ _What_?!” The look on Tai's face was almost enough to scare Summer. She saw outrage, despair, and… hunger? “Damn it, Qrow! You should have told us!”

“It wasn't a social visit.” Qrow's voice was oddly level. “The Branwen tribe is on the move. Their previous location became too infested with Grimm. She wanted me to let Ozpin know. She had seen a massive Grimm that she hadn't seen before, so she thought someone should look into it.”

“Raven knows her Grimm. It's peculiar that she couldn't identify one,” Port remarked. His bushy eyebrows were deeply furrowed. “Did she say what it looked like?”

“Like a horse with some… _thing_ on its back,” Qrow replied. “According to her, it was a big one, and she didn’t want to get too close. It worried her enough to pack up the camp and relocate somewhere far away.”

“ _She_ packed up the camp?” The many expressions of Tai were ever-changing. Qrow nodded.

“She's the leader now. I don't know if she overthrew the last one or if he just stepped down, but she's the boss now.” Qrow gave Summer and Tai an unhappy look. They knew what Raven was capable of. Summer feared for any huntsman who crossed her path. Tai could only shake his head at Qrow's words. She recognized the thunderstorm growing on his face.

“Did she even ask about Yang?” The coldness in his voice sounded foreign to Summer. Tai's voice was always warm, even on his darkest days. The frost there now was alarming.

Qrow sighed. “I thought she wasn't going to ask. I wouldn't have told her anything if she hadn't. Hell, she would have deserved it if I _hadn't_ answered.” He looked pained. “I think she regrets what she did. To a degree, at least. She asked for a picture. I hope it wasn't wrong of me to give one to her.”

“Not at all,” Summer said firmly before Tai could open his mouth. “If nothing else, she did bring Yang into the world. And she was a part of our team for nearly a decade. She was a friend. Whatever she's doing now, I'd still like to think that the good person she was is still a part of her, somewhere inside.”

Her words were met with silence, but Tai grabbed her hand and squeezed it. When she looked at him, gentleness had returned to his features.

“Summer, you're a better person than I could ever be,” he told her softly. She blushed.

“So you're definitely together now?” Barty asked, stretching his neck out as far as he could to peer at the pair from across the table. Summer felt the heat in her face.

“Yes,” Tai replied, confidence in his voice and a smile on his lips. “She moved in to help me with Yang, and things just… happened.”

Summer reached one foot far under the table to crush Qrow's toes with the heel of her boot. The smirk on his face was gone in a flash.

“Oh, how excellent! That means Yang has hope for brothers and sisters! Scientific studies show that there are many benefits to having more than one child in a household, such as-”

Barty was cut off when Qrow spat a hunk of turkey out of his mouth. It shot across the table and onto Summer's plate. Her face was scarlet now, but the projectile turkey gave her the necessary distraction to avoid what Barty was saying. Instead, she screeched at Qrow. She stabbed the partially-chewed hunk with a fork and flung it at his head. Surprisingly, and somewhat disgustingly, he opened his mouth and caught it. He gave her a thumbs-up. She mimed puking.

Port had leaned back and was doing a full belly-laugh. The sound of it made Yang laugh, which caused everyone else to join in.

The tension in the air was broken- or so Summer thought. Barty, it appeared, was quite intent on his subject.

“As I was saying! Having come from a large family myself, I can attest to the fact that having many siblings helped me develop better skills for teamwork and--”

“We… haven't talked about that yet!” Tai said hurriedly. “We've only been together for a few months, after all.”

Summer felt her heartbeat more acutely than ever as he said that. Did that mean he wasn't ready after all?

“Yang is in a crucial window where she could grow up knowing what it's like to be on a team, practically before she develops any memories--”

“Barty, we get it, you want them to get laid as often and as soon as possible. But please, man, we're trying to eat,” Qrow drawled. He made eye contact with the couple. Was he remembering catching them in the act on this very table? The three of them burst out laughing.

Summer had just finished her plate when Port suddenly exclaimed “Nuckelavee!”

“Bless you,” Qrow said, his face uncharacteristically earnest.

“No, no, it's the name of that Grimm. I've been trying to remember it since you brought it up.”

“Sorry?”

“The Grimm on horseback. The one you said Raven saw. It's called a Nuckelavee. They're very rare, which is probably why she didn't know what it was.”

An uncomfortable silence settled around the table. Even Barty was frowning. 

Yang was grunting and wiggling in her high chair. Summer figured that she was either restless, dirty, or both. 

“I'll take her,” she told Tai. “Did you have a good dinner, my little baby bumblebee?” She cooed as she unclasped Yang's bib. “She probably needs a quick wash anyway. I think that's potato in her hair.” Tai chuckled.

“I'll get the guys to take care of the dishes, and we'll have dessert when you get back down.”

“Don’t let Qrow even near the kitchen,” she warned him. Qrow spread his arms in a bemused shrug.

“So what so I do?”

“Behave yourself.” She winked.

“Why does she always make me do the hard stuff?” he whined.

Yang babbled happily as Summer pulled her out of the high chair. She sniffed. Oh yes, potatoes weren't the only thing being served mashed tonight.

As she walked away, she caught the look on Tai's face. It was so adoring and tender, and it wasn't just for Yang. Summer smiled back and led Yang back up to the nursery.

Despite the good time they had with their guests, Summer was relieved to see them go. Port kept reminding her, “Summer dear, you are not a student anymore! You must call me Peter.” Summer didn't know why she had difficulty with thinking of her old professors by their first name. It was a hard habit to break.

Barty kept trying (and failing) to tell Tai about the benefits of having a large family in between slurps of coffee. Tai kept nodding politely, but Summer couldn't tell where his true feelings on the subject lay. It made her feel oddly nervous.

As soon as Tai had closed the door, Summer wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her in.

“That was exhausting,” she remarked.

“Quite!” He kissed the top of her head. “And now do you want the good news?”

“Oh?” she looked up at him, her silver eyes meeting his blue ones.

“Tomorrow, Qrow is going to babysit Yang _all_ day. We are going to Vale and we are going to enjoy some time to ourselves.”

She grinned up at him. Their kiss was a long one.


	10. Chapter 10

The ferry just wasn't feeling right. Summer figured whoever was steering it was just a new hire. Motion sickness was practically an unknown to Summer, and though she wasn't puking, she felt just a bit queasy.

Since the ferry was always a short ride, she didn't bother to complain about it to Tai. Qrow had arrived back yesterday and Tai was excited to take Summer out for her birthday. She had never celebrated her birthday with a date before! Tai had surprised her with flowers that morning before announcing his plan. The bright colors were welcome during the cold of winter and their fragrance was divine.

She had picked up more missions than usual in the weeks that passed since Thanksgiving. Port's description of the Nuckelavee had unsettled her. It was a stark reminder that her skills were very much needed. Being home with Yang for so long felt almost selfish while there were still Grimm out there. 

Still… it was nice to be back on Tai's bike. Her hair was a mess in the rushing wind, but she loved it. What she loved even more was how she and Tai must look on his bike, their hair blowing and Summer's cloak a long stream behind them. She knew they looked cool.

“Are you okay back there, or will I need to _Tai_ you down?” he called back.

Okay, maybe they weren't _that_ cool.

“You're such a dork!” she laughed. She noticed that her queasiness was ebbing. She hoped the new hire's shift would end by the time they headed back.

“Where are we going this time?” she yelled.

“I thought it might be nice to go back to where we had our first date!”

She was pleased. The food there was great, and they hadn't been back since their first date. Already, she could taste the seared scallops. Her mouth watered.

They had dressed fancier than usual for tonight. Tai was in a light blue button-down shirt with a darker blue tie. (Or _Tai_ , as he’d said. He was so fond of this particular pun.) Summer chose to wear red dress (“It looks _summer_ y.” God, what was wrong with this man?) with a black cardigan. Fortunately, dressing up wasn't too out of place here.

They were seated at their table right away, the candlelight not as cheesy as she remembered. It was just so nice to be on a date with Tai. She took a sip of her wine.

“Two cups of clam chowder. Did you know it's my girlfriend's birthday today?” he told the waiter with a wiggle of his eyebrows. The waiter gave a polite smile. 

“Happy birthday, ma'am,” he replied. Summer laughed.

“I turn another year older and suddenly I'm a ma'am!” she complained to Tai when the waiter had disappeared. Tai's laughter was an embarrassing snort. She gave him a stern look.

“Sorry, _ma'am_ ,” he replied. She threw her napkin at him.

They were behaving themselves by the time the clam chowder was delivered. Tai dug into his immediately, but Summer sensed something wasn't right. 

The smell of it made the queasiness return as full-blown nausea. Without a word, she covered her mouth and ran for the bathroom.

She puked up _everything_ that had been in her stomach. She heard Tai pounding at the door, but she physically couldn't get up. As she heaved the last into the toilet, her mind was racing.

It couldn't still be the motion sickness, could it? She hadn't been feeling sick before. No, she thought, it was the _smell_ that had brought her here.

She saw the pieces and fit them together in just a few seconds. She was horror-struck. She'd missed her last appointment for her shot. She had just been too busy with her missions and hadn't been here for the appointment. That hadn't been the only thing she'd missed either.

She flushed the toilet. 

“Summer, are you okay?” Tai called.

“Just a minute!” she gasped out. 

Summer had missed periods occasionally. On the shot, she hadn't been getting them at all. She'd gotten one since her missed appointment, and it had been light. She'd honestly forgotten about keeping track or them. 

Oh God. Oh _God_. What had she done?

After rinsing her mouth, she put a hand to her stomach. She had no sense of any life in there. 

She dampened a towel to blot at her face. The cold water felt good. She hated how blotchy her face looked. She was dimly aware of tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. 

Had she just ruined everything?

“Summer?”

“I'm coming, just hold on.” She cursed the hitch in her voice. She _knew_ Tai wasn't ready for another child. The way he'd avoided Barty's blathering had shown her that. Her whole body tingled. It didn't even feel like her own anymore.

She wiped at her eyes, but the cold water wasn't making them any less swollen. She took a deep breath, hoping her breaths wouldn't be ragged when she faced him.

When Summer stepped out, Tai was immediately there. “Are you all right? What's wrong?” He was looking at her eyes, his concern very real. They were filling again.

She couldn't lie to him. As tempting as it was to somehow hide this, she _could not_ lie.

“I think I'm pregnant.” She had tried to sound calm, but her traitor voice hitched. 

She couldn't look at him. “Wait… what?”

“I… I was on a mission when I was supposed to get my last shot. I was so busy and didn't think to reschedule. I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear. I would have never done this on purpose without talking to you.”

She thought back to the queasiness- it had been there in mild, almost unnoticeable ways over the past week. She never even thought about it.

Tai wrapped his arms around her. What did that gesture _mean_?

“Is this what you want?” His own breathing was ragged. She started to tremble.

She didn't know what he wanted her to say. So she told him the truth. “You know I've always wanted to have a baby.” The laugh she forced out was full of sob. “I just thought… Yang isn't even a year old yet. I thought it was too early to… ask you about it, I guess.”

His chuckle sounded almost nervous. He set his hands on her shoulders and pushed on them to look into her eyes. She was embarrassed by the tears that ran unchecked down her face. But his own eyes were glassy, too.

“Summer. My love. I'm not afraid of another baby. We've already proven that we are _great_ parents. You want this baby. _I_ definitely want this baby. It's a little unexpected, but hasn't everything else been, too? You're already Yang’s mother. You're the woman I love, the woman I need to share my life with. Now we… we made a child together.” His voice caught. One of his hands went to her belly. She knew and he knew that there was nothing to feel. But there was something _there_. Something they had made, unwittingly, together.

“I want to take a pregnancy test,” she told him. “Just to be certain. It could just be a bug or something.”

Tai raised an eyebrow. It would have been a surprise if it was anything other than a pregnancy, based on the evidence, but she wanted all her bases covered.

“Should we skip the seafood tonight?” His smile looked goofy.

“I don't think the smell is working for me right now.” She made a face.

Tai paid for the little they'd ordered and left. Though not as glamorous, sandwiches went down much easier. Having thrown up everything she'd eaten today, Summer was suddenly ravenous. She ate her sandwich, her chips, and half of Tai's sandwich. 

It amused her that Tai insisted on coming into the store with her to buy a test. In the end, though, she was glad he came. There were so many different tests that claimed all sorts of exciting things that made no sense to Summer. It was overwhelming. She went for one of the simpler ones- it would only have one job to do, so why waste money on complications? Tai's giddiness at the register, though, nearly had Summer laughing. His manner was an obvious indication of wanting to be asked about his purchase. She was blushing when she dragged him out of the store.

The ride and ferry back to Patch seemed very slow, though Summer didn't notice the passage of time while on the ferry. She was busy emptying her stomach over the rail.

“I bet it's the smell of the ocean,” he remarked. “The books I read told me some women are sensitive to smells.”

Of course, Summer wasn't listening. She was trying to spit the last few bits of dinner out of her mouth.

When they pulled up, she reminded him, “Don't tell Qrow until I'm done.”

“He's going to want to know why we're back so early.”

“Make something up!”

She didn't bother to greet Qrow. She beelined for the bathroom.

“Hey, what's going on?” was all she heard as she rushed past him.

Whatever conversation the guys were having was nothing but white noise to Summer. She was aware that they were both outside the bathroom door, but the pounding in her ears drowned them out.

She scanned the directions. The box came with two tests. She decided using both of them was a good idea. Just in case one was wrong.

But both sticks said the same thing.

 _Pregnant_. 

For a moment, Summer just stared at them. It was real. She breathed out, trying to calm herself as the reality set in.

She burst into sobs. 

“Summer, are you okay? Do you want me to come in?”

“Ew, Tai, what the fuck?” she heard Qrow groan.

And now she was laughing, tears still streaming down her face.

She opened the door to find Tai waiting anxiously. Qrow looked perplexed. He was bouncing Yang on his hip.

“So?” Tai asked, reaching out for one of the sticks. Summer found she had no words. Beaming, she nodded emphatically and handed a test to him.

“Wait, is that a pregnancy test?” Qrow's eyes were wide. 

Tai surprised Summer by wrapping his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her in a circle.

“Careful, or I'll puke again!” she laughed, knowing full well that there wasn't a thing left in her stomach. He stopped spinning, but didn't put her down. She wrapped her legs around him.

“You're pregnant?” Qrow was gaping stupidly at her, mouth open.

She nodded.

“So you guys really did take Barty's advice?” A smile was slowly replacing his shocked expression. Tai groaned and Summer blushed.

“This was more of a… surprise?” she said, giving Tai's face a quick glance.

“A happy surprise,” he corrected. The look on his face was beautiful, Summer thought, her heart full of warmth. 

Qrow poked Yang's belly. The baby laughed. “Well, kid, it looks like you're going to be a big sister.” Summer liked the smile that Qrow was wearing. It wasn’t his usual sardonic smile or a forced smile. Qrow was truly happy for them.

“What do we do now?” Summer asked. This news was starting to hit her. There were things they’d have to do to prepare and she had no idea how or when to start. 

“Nothing tonight,” Tai said firmly. “Tonight, it’s still your birthday. We can still have some alone time, right, Qrow?”

“Of course!”

“We’re not going to worry about anything tonight. This is basically an unexpected birthday present, right? There’s plenty of time later to worry about logistics.” Tai reluctantly loosened his grip on Summer and she let go to slide down. Though she was back on the floor, she didn’t want to leave his touch. He wrapped his arms around her and planted a slow kiss on the top of her head. Summer felt a couple drops of moisture trickle onto her scalp. Tears?

“I’m so happy for you guys,” she heard Qrow tell them. “Damn, this really is incredible.” He hesitated. “Will it mean I’ll be an uncle again?”

“Of course it does!” Summer broke her face away from Tai’s chest to look at Qrow fiercely. “You don’t need to be blood to be their uncle. I don’t need to be blood to be Yang’s mother, do I?”

It was rare to see Qrow look so joyful, but Summer was glad to see it.

She refused to let Tai kiss her lips until she’d brushed her teeth. Despite everything good that was happening, throwing up made her feel disgusting. She also hated how swollen and blotchy she looked in the mirror. People in movies were able to look gorgeous when they cried. Why couldn’t she?

Tai walked in as she was pressing a cold washcloth against her face, willing her face to return to normal. “What in the world are you doing?”

“I cried too much and my face looks like a Boarbatusk!”

That made him laugh. He moved closer so he could pull the washcloth away from her face. He pretended to inspect her face.

“But where are your tusks?” he asked innocently. She stuck her tongue out at him. 

He took that as an invitation to kiss her, which she returned. 

Summer sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers massaging Tai’s scalp as he nuzzled her flat stomach. Raven didn’t like having her stomach touched when she'd been pregnant, she remembered, even by Tai. She didn’t understand why. Tai’s touch felt so natural. Perhaps it would change as she got bigger, but she couldn’t imagine it. 

His first words at the restaurant hadn’t been exclamations of joy or fear or any other emotion. He had asked her “ _Is this what you want_?”

With a pang, she remembered why he would ask that of her and oh, how it broke her heart. 

She wasn’t Raven. 

To Summer, Tai’s touch was welcome.


	11. Chapter 11

Summer awoke the next day in Tai’s arms, her head resting against his chest. She was curled tightly into him, his tall frame protecting her naked body from the cold morning. The knowledge the day before had brought settled around her, making it impossible to go right back to sleep. Slowly, so as not to wake Tai, she touched her stomach, trying to imagine what might be inside. _Who_ might be inside.

She was carrying Tai’s child.

Everything else about last night drifted across her memory, unimportant. They had been too distracted and excited to have sex, though Summer had hoped earlier that day that their night would end with that. Her nudity had more to do with intimacy than with pleasure. Tai himself was shirtless, though he wore his pajama bottoms. Cuddled against him, the two had talked about many things, though mostly about the baby. Who knew their future could expand in so many glittering directions? Some people had told her that having a baby meant your life was over. Summer couldn’t disagree more. It was just _beginning_.

She closed her eyes again, enjoying the sensation of her head moving back and forth in time with Tai’s breathing. One arm was draped across her side, over the curve of her hip, hand resting on her ass. His snores were soft.

She didn’t know how long she lay like that, nor did she realize that she did manage to fall back asleep until Tai was pulling away. Summer was suddenly awake again, grunting her annoyance at him and stubbornly keeping her eyes closed. She heard Tai chuckle and push a strand of her hair back.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, trying to mask his sleepiness. Summer sensed it anyway.

“Stay in bed with me,” she grumbled. “I’m cold.”

“I can see that,” he commented. Her eyes snapped awake as one hand brushed across her exposed breast and the erect nipple that waited there. She pulled the blanket over her, blushing slightly. In her grogginess, she hadn’t even realized it was uncovered. Tai laughed, then leaned over to give her a light kiss. “But I’m afraid we left Yang with Qrow all night. I should go check on them.”

Summer’s sigh was long and exaggerated, even though she knew he was right. It wasn’t that Qrow hadn’t watched Yang overnight before. She was proud that he was overcoming his fear of what his semblance might do and that he wanted to cement a solid bond with her. Still, Summer could count the number of times he’d done overnights on one hand. Those times had been welcome nights of sleep and love-making, but every time, she couldn’t help but feel bad about making Qrow do that. She never thought that last night would spring an unexpected one on him.

To be fair, he hadn’t been the only one dealing with something unexpected.

After Tai left, Summer lay in bed for a few minutes more, trying to soak in as much of Tai’s residual heat as she could. Spring would be coming soon and she was eager for it. The beginning of spring would bring Yang’s first birthday, as well.

That meant it was almost a year since she and Tai had fallen in love.

Smiling a sleepy smile, she lay her palm on her stomach. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be living with Tai, carrying his child, and being a mother to his first, she would never have believed it. 

After a few minutes, she was able to pull herself out of her reverie and clamber out of bed. There was no nausea, despite how common the symptom of morning sickness seemed to be. She didn’t know if it was something she would never have or if it was something that would eventually turn up. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts, she thought as she stepped into the bathroom, shivering a little as she stepped onto the cold tile.

For a moment, she only looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her body looked the same as it always did. She turned to the side, trying to imagine herself with a pregnant belly. Her belly button would disappear when that happened. She imagined her breasts would get bigger, as well. She looked down at her legs, wondering if they would get as swollen as Raven’s did. Her ankles had ballooned so much that it looked like they didn’t exist at all. Summer touched her cheek, wondering if her face would swell as she gained weight. 

In her mind’s eye, she saw herself as a giant sausage, each segment of her arms and legs forming a link. She grimaced.

It would be worth it, she told herself firmly as she brushed her teeth. She had dreamed of this baby. Unlike Raven, she had a light at the end of the tunnel.

Still, Summer couldn’t stop herself from staring at her reflection as she waited for the shower to warm up. She tried to imagine herself not with the swollen ankles, but with a cute pregnant belly. She had to be optimistic. 

“I can’t help staring at your reflection, too,” Tai commented. Summer had sensed his approach, but wrenched herself from the mirror too late. She gave him a crooked smile.

“I’m just trying to think of myself with a tummy,” she admitted. “It’s hard to think of myself that way.”

“And when it does happen, it’ll seem almost normal. I want to say gradual, but it’s faster than we like to think it is.” Tai wrapped his arm around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides as he hugged her close. “Mind if I join you in here?”

“Go ahead.”

The hot water felt divine. Summer made a deep sigh as the water hit her chilled skin. Tai joined her a few minutes later, teeth brushed and eager to enjoy the heat. 

And not just the heat, she thought in amusement as he pressed himself against her back. She reached around to place her hand on the back of his wet scalp. She massaged her fingers into his hair and lay her own head back against his chest.

“Let’s finish up in here and go back to bed,” he murmured. Shower sex had not been very successful on the occasions they’d tried it, so she was relieved at this suggestion.

It didn’t stop him, however, from teasing her a little. He massaged one of her breasts with one hand and his other slicked around her stomach and sensitive sides. Despite the heat of the shower, her nipples were standing again and goosebumps ran up her arms.

The torture lasted only a few moments. Tai kissed the top of her head and released her. 

“You’re killing me,” she growled as she turned to face him. The infuriating man was grinning. She retaliated by reaching for his cock. She wrapped her hand around it and gave it a few light strokes. His resulting groan was deep enough to satisfy Summer.

They toweled off hurriedly, but they didn’t bother getting dressed. Summer immediately dove under the covers, where Tai’s body heat kept the cold from her bones and oh, it did so much more than that.

His wet, sloppy kisses raced across her collar bone to her shoulder, then down her arm to the tips of her fingers. She giggled, which stopped when his lips moved to hers. Their kiss was hard and intense. Summer was _hungry_ for him.

Though her eyes were closed, she was living through his touch. His fingers were feather-light as they traced her curves. Her own glided over the muscles in his back, kneading the base of her hands into them wherever they rested.

Tai was suddenly on top of her. He looked just as hungry as she was, but there was something more to his expression as he stared down at her. It reminded her of the first day he’d looked at her naked body. There was a strange level of softness to that gaze. When his eyes were back on her own, she raised her eyebrows.

“You’re just _beautiful_ ,” was his only explanation. “Summer couldn’t help her blush, but she rolled her eyes anyway. He grinned.

Their lips met for another intense kiss, though while they did so, she felt his fingers against the warm lips of her cunt. She grunted a little into his mouth, but his tongue only pushed in deeper. With his tongue above and fingers below, Summer’s entire body was waking up to him.

When her hips began to buck against his hand, his mouth left her lips to migrate to one breast. Her grunts turned into full, loud groans. She clutched Tai against her. She could feel how slippery his fingers were. She was dripping wet.

“I need you in me. Now,” she hissed. Tai didn’t respond. He only pulled his fingers out of her and aligned himself with her slit. 

She had to bite her fist to keep herself from crying out as he impaled her. The groan that escaped her was deep and throaty. But the way he felt in her was just too good to stay completely silent. He nuzzled her neck, and she felt the love bites he was leaving. She pulled his body closer, pressing her breasts against him.

“You feel incredible.” Tai’s words buzzed on her neck. Summer shushed him.

“Just fuck me.”

He did so with enough enthusiasm that she needed to bite her hand again. He slid one of his own back to her mound, which he massaged with almost as much intensity. She ran her hands in wild circuits across his back.

God, how she loved him. He made her life seem like a dream. For so long, a life like this had only been a dream; the man, the child, and now the baby… her heart was so full.

While he pumped, his fingers ran frantic circles around her clit. She tried to control her moaning, but when she came, she couldn’t help herself. “I’m gonna cum!” she gasped, followed by an exultant cry. As she shuddered against him, he silenced her with a kiss.

A few thrusts later, Tai finished, as well. He managed to be quieter than Summer had, but he still made a heavy moan. He sank down beside her, out of breath. Instinctively, she curled against him. He was coated in a light layer of perspiration. The smell of sweat and sex filled the air, but it was a comfortable smell. He wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m not feeling cold anymore,” he commented after a moment. Summer snorted.

“I wouldn’t think so!” She looked up at him and saw the contented smile on his face. Again, she was flooded with warmth for the man. Carrying his baby couldn’t feel more right.

“I could easily go back to sleep.” He planted a kiss on the top of Summer’s head. “But Qrow could probably use a break.”

“Was Yang awake?” she asked with a frown. 

“No. But she probably is by now. You can take your time.”

“I’ll join you soon. I just need to clean myself up again.” She gave him a sardonic smile. “Just because I’m pregnant now doesn’t mean I expect things to be any different.”

“For now, maybe,” Tai told her with a smile of his own. “But when things need to change, I don’t want you to stress over it.”

“Then don’t give me any cause to worry.” She winked. “Which is going to be a tall order for you!”

“I’m the picture of innocence!” 

She blew a raspberry at him, though he put a stop to that with another kiss. He touched her stomach for the barest of moments.

“I’ll see you in a bit, then.”

She still waited a few minutes before getting up. The bed was so warm, the smell was intoxicating, and she felt so peaceful.

For just a moment longer, she wanted to dream of the future.


	12. Chapter 12

_Womp womp womp womp womp._

It sounded like an alien. She looked at Dr. Goldman incredulously. Tai was useless; he looked mesmerized by the screen. 

“And… that’s the baby? It sounds so weird.”

“Fetal heartbeats are much faster than our own,” the doctor said with a small smile. Summer wished she could understand all these machines. Weapons were easy to figure out, but this was beyond her. She’d never accompanied Raven to any of her doctor’s appointments, so she wasn’t sure what to expect. It definitely wasn’t the little wireless contraption stuck to where her uterus was. And she _certainly_ didn’t expect to get so much information from it.

__

The blob on the screen didn’t look like a baby yet. She wasn’t expecting it to. She wasn’t expecting to see it move like that, either.

__

The doctor was doing something to the screen that Summer didn’t understand. Tai must have seen her worry, for he squeezed her hand reassuringly. She was sure his hand must be completely shriveled from her sweat by now, but she was grateful for his touch. She’d held onto it during the various tests she needed done. Tai was so patient.

__

“By the baby’s measurements, it looks like you’re eight weeks and four days,” Dr. Goldman told them. 

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“That’s further than I thought.” Summer laughed nervously. “I got a light period after I forgot to get the shot.”

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The doctor was already shaking her head. “That was probably implantation bleeding. You said it was only for a day, right?”

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Summer exchanged a surprised look with Tai. “I didn’t know that was a thing,” she replied with a weak smile.

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“If you knew everything, I wouldn’t have a job.” The doctor winked. Summer turned her attention back to the little thing on the screen. It was hard to imagine it actually being _inside her_. It was harder still to imagine it turning into a baby that she would hold in her arms. Still…

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“It sort of looks like a jellybean,” she told Tai. He laughed.

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“And you’re a huntress, Summer, correct?” Dr. Goldman was all business.

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“I am.”

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“You need to stop going on missions.” The doctor’s look was a serious one. “Growing a baby isn’t just growing a baby. You’re creating a new being with its own aura. That’s going to interfere with your own. There have been pregnant huntresses in the past who’ve been killed because their own aura is fighting the aura of their baby, so it can’t focus on protecting you. You might think it’s okay sometimes, but it’s completely unpredictable. It’s best to just avoid missions altogether.”

__

“She won’t be going on any missions anyway,” Tai told her. Summer glared at him.

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“Like it was your decision to make.” Tai winced. She could tell that he knew he’d messed up. The doctor proceeded as if nothing had happened. She was indicating the screen again.

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“If you look right here,” she said, circling a part of the blob with the cursor, “that’s the head.”

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“The baby has a head!” Tai raised his hand, as if celebrating a goal. Despite her irritation, Summer snorted with laughter.

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“Can Qrow come in?” she suddenly asked. “He’s family, too.”

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Tai gave Summer’s hand another squeeze. She was glad the doctor was willing to have him in. After she left to collect him, Tai looked to Summer. He asked, “Boy or girl? Do you have any of that mother’s intuition yet?”

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Summer rolled her eyes. “I hardly even know it’s there, let alone what the sex might be.”

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A moment of silence passed as they watched the little jellybean on the screen. 

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“We _made_ that,” she finally said, the disbelief evident in her voice. He chuckled and reached his other hand to their joined ones. He rubbed her sweaty hand.

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“And we did a damn good job.”

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Before Summer could reply, the door opened again. The doctor walked in, followed by Qrow pushing Yang in a stroller. 

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“That’s nice of you to let me in here,” Qrow commented. Summer noticed that he was pointedly not looking at the area the ultrasound contraption stuck to her body. She wanted to laugh. But before she could tease him about it, he found the screen that had her baby on it. He stared at it. “That’s the baby?”

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Summer again resisted the urge to laugh at Qrow’s look of awe as the doctor pointed out the head and the limb buds. She even turned the volume up on the baby’s quick heartbeat. Little Yang looked alarmed at the noise, but Qrow was dumbstruck. She knew that even Tai hadn’t been allowed to all of Raven’s appointments, let alone Qrow. This was as new an experience to him as it was for her. But Qrow truly was a part of their family. The remains of Team STRQ only had each other now.

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“That’s… amazing,” he finally said. “It almost looks like a little person.”

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“Well, it _is_ a little person!” Summer replied, amused. “Or, at least, the fetus of one.”

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“What do you think, Yang?” Tai lifted the baby out of the stroller. Yang beamed. “Do you want a little brother or sister?”

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“No!” she announced, followed by a steady stream of nonsense. Tai nodded as though in complete understanding.

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“She says she wants one,” he translated. Summer shook her head in amusement.

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The rest of the day in Vale was full of shopping. Summer wanted to get supplies for Yang’s first birthday party next month. They were having a few friends over to celebrate, but Summer was worried that it would be a late spring. If it was, the entire party would have to be indoors. 

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To her relief, Qrow didn’t make any mention of visiting Beacon. A part of her wondered if Ozpin regretted the things he’d said to her. Another part of her was relieved that she now had a solid excuse not to do his dangerous missions. Yet another part of her wanted to rub his nose in it.

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Though the ferry ride over had been surprisingly free of nausea, Summer spent most of the ride back to Patch bent over the railing. Was it because of those tacos they’d had for lunch? Either way, it wasn’t just tacos that was coming up. Tai, hating to be completely useless, rubbed her back during that time. When there was nothing left, Summer remained with her head over the edge. Her body still convulsed with fruitless gags. 

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“How’s she doing?” she heard Qrow ask.

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“I think I threw up lunch from last weekend,” Summer grumbled. She heard Tai laugh.

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“Well, I brought you a bottle of water. In case you wanted to rinse your mouth out?” Qrow said. Summer stuck out her hand for the blissfully cold bottle. Still not moving from her position over the railing, she pressed it against her sweaty forehead. 

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After giving her mouth a quick rinse, she pulled her head back into the boat. Yang, down in her stroller, was looking up at her curiously, her bright lilac eyes glittering in the sunshine. “It could always be worse,” she found herself saying. “It’s not like I’m puking _every_ day.”

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Tai was grinning and shaking his head. “If your guts were spilling out of your stomach, you’d probably tell us that at least your lungs were still in place!”

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Summer gave him a sharp _smack_ on his arm, then the three of them laughed. “Would you rather I complain constantly about my nausea? Even if I’m not always puking, my stomach just hasn’t been feeling right this week. And when I use the bathroom--”

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“ _Ew_! Summer! The hell?!” Qrow was doubled over with laughter. Summer gave Tai a wink. He winked back.

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It was a relief to get back to the house. As much as she wanted a nap, Summer really wanted to spend some time with Yang. As the men put away the bags of the things they’d bought, she sat on the couch with Yang on her lap. 

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Immediately, Yang grabbed the edge of Summer’s cloak in one hand. “Mama,” she giggled. Even though that was one of Yang’s favorite words, it never stopped warming Summer’s heart. With a grin, she wrapped the two of the them up in her cloak, arms high above her head to turn her cloak into a tent. Yang shrieked her laughter.

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Her scroll pinged. Reading the message, a surprised smile broke across her face.

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Amaretta was one of the few friends from her childhood that remained close into adulthood. They’d only been in touch sporadically over the past couple of years, but their friendship was the kind that could easily pick up where it left off. She hadn’t thought to tell anyone about her pregnancy yet, but Etta was someone who should know sooner rather than later.

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“Just finished our mission!” the message read. “I heard you were in Vale today???”

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Summer grinned, then typed out a response. “We were! Are you there now?”

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She let Etta ramble for a while about their latest mission. She was a part of one of the rare teams that hadn’t split up after graduation, and they had made their teamwork into an art form. Team ALMD had taken up missions all over the world, so finding out that they were back in Vale was a rare treat.

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It was only after Etta finally asked for the details on Summer’s life that she could drop her news. Rather than using words, Summer sent a picture from the ultrasound.

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The long moment without response was unlike Etta, and Summer began to get worried when her scroll buzzed.

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No sooner did Summer answer than she heard a cacophony of incoherent voices. Even Yang looked around in alarm. “Mama, no!” Yang whined. As Summer began to dissect the various voices, she carried Yang over to her nest of toys.

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“Was that an ultrasound?!” Etta’s raspy voice demanded. Summer heard someone shushing in the background.

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“Really? You had to show the whole team _now_?” Summer asked her with a laugh, plopping Yang in the middle of her blanket.

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“‘Fess up, Rose!”

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“Tai and I are having a baby!” Summer replied cheerfully.

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There was another roar of sound. She could have sworn she heard Mara’s tinkling laughter, but Etta’s voice was the dominant one. 

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“You?! Really?! How?!”

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“I really don’t think you need the details as to ‘how’, but yes, really!”

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“God, is that Etta?” Tai made a show of clearing his ears out as he walked into the living room. Behind him, Qrow was shaking his head.

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“Tai?! Is that you?!” Etta demanded. Summer sighed. “What have you done to my delicate little flower?!”

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“Give her a little credit, she isn’t that delicate,” a new voice cut in.

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“Thank you, Lace,” Summer commented. There was another round of shushing coming from Summer’s scroll.

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“How are you ladies doing?” Qrow asked, coming to sit next to Summer on the couch.

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“You still sound as sleazy as ever,” Etta offered. Summer snorted and Qrow rolled his eyes.

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“You’re all still a bunch of charmers, I see.”

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“Get back on subject. How far along, Summer?” That was Lace again, and Summer recounted her doctor’s visit for them. She was starting to realize that she missed female companionship, and talking to ALMD was a breath of fresh air. There was nothing wrong with Tai or Qrow, but they couldn’t empathize over womanly issues like another woman could.

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By the time she ended the call, she was wiped. She was excited, though, that they all committed to coming to Yang’s first birthday party. It had been three years since she’d seen any of them in person. She was eager for them to meet Yang. She’d talked about the baby to Etta months ago, but Yang had grown so much since then. 

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“I’d forgotten how much Etta likes to talk,” Qrow commented. Though he’d abandoned the conversation ages ago, he’d returned now, drink in hand. Summer shook her head, remembering sadly how well Etta and Raven had gotten along. They’d been the queens of trash-talking during their Beacon days.

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“After everything she said to you back in the day? I’m not surprised you gave yourself amnesia!” Tai teased. 

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“Tai, come rub my sad pregnant feet,” Summer demanded loudly, lifting one foot into the air.

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“Etta’s a bad influence on you. Your volume button’s broken!” Nonetheless, Tai sat down and pulled her feet across his lap.

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“You know Summer’s only taking advantage of you, right?” Qrow said with a smirk. Summer stuck out her tongue at him.

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“I do, and it’s working,” Tai replied, grinning.

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“Then I’m out. You guys are gross.”

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Tai and Summer laughed and laughed.

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End file.
